Estes Out
The Providence Journal is reporting the Brown Head Coach Phil Estes is leaving the program.
This is not a complete shocker, but Estes still is the most successful coach in Brown history by far. I often wanted Columbia to hire him away from Brown to see if he could work some magic here.
I hope someone out there gives Estes another chance... in fact, he would make a great assistant/consultant for our Head Coach Al Bagnoli right now.
Bagnoli Watch
In four years as Columbia's head coach, Bagnoli is now 19-21. He's reached 19 wins 33 games faster than Ray Tellier. He will not likely be voted Ivy coach of the year as he was in 2017, but considering the injuries that devastated this team he truly deserves it. It's hard to believe any other Ivy team this year could go 6-4 without its top three QB's, top three RB's. top LB, and top all-around player, (in Columbia's case that was WR Josh Wainwright).
Top 10
Longtime readers of this blog know I keep a running list, at least in my head, of the best Columbia games of each decade. With one season left before we finish the super-eventful 2010-2019 decade in Lions history, Saturday's win over Cornell may have cracked the top 3. I still put the win over Penn last year as #1 and the victory at Princeton also last year at #2.
Here's hoping 2019 will bring us lots more contenders for the top 10.
Next Year
For those of you wondering about next year, the Lions begin it on September 21 at St. Francis. The other non-conference games will both be at home, versus Georgetown in week two and CCSU in week four.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Magic Mike
Columbia 24 Cornell 21
Why Columbia Won
Columbia's backup, freshman kick returner Mike Roussos scored on a highly improbable 87-yard squib kickoff return for a TD with 45 seconds left to stun the Big Red. Roussos also had a 91-yard punt return for a TD earlier in the contest as the Lion special teams once again made the biggest difference in the game.
Why Cornell Lost
The Big Red couldn't cash in on enough scoring opportunities, despite out-gaining Columbia by 225 total yards. Cornell also had a disastrous day on special teams allowing two long TD returns and failing on two field goal attempts, the second from about extra point distance.
Key Turning Points
-With Columbia leading 10-0 and 13:57 left in the 2nd quarter, Lion RB Ryan Young pounded out a 33-yard run for an apparent 1st and goal at the Big Red 5 yard line. But the play was called back on a questionable illegal formation penalty and three plays later, QB Ty Lenhart threw the first of his two interceptions to give Cornell the ball back at the Columbia 49. The Lion offense wouldn't get back into a groove until the 4th quarter.
-With Columbia leading 10-7, Lenhart threw his second pick of the game to set the Big Red up again at the Lion 49. Four plays later, RB Harold Coles sprinted 31 yards untouched into the end zone for the first Cornell lead of the game at 14-10.
-On the ensuing Columbia possession, the Lions faced a 3rd and 14 at their 21 when Lenhart threw a pass to WR Kaleb Pitts, who was triple covered. But Pitts somehow came up with the ball for an improbable 25 yard gain. Lenhart would complete two more passes to convert two more 3rd and long plays during the drive before WR/QB Kyle Castner gave Columbia the lead back with a two yard TD run with 6:46 left in the game.
-Facing a 1st and 10 at the Big Red 22 with 2:50 to go, Cornell QB Dalton Banks completed his best play of the game by finding WR Owen Peters open in the middle of the field for a 48-yard completion. It took seven more plays for the Big Red to score, but Banks did grind it into the Lion end zone for a 21-17 lead with 58 seconds to go.
-On the ensuing kickoff, Cornell opted to go with a squib kick, even though kicker Zach Mays had previously booted the ball out of that same end zone for a harmless touchback earlier in the game. Roussos picked the kick up off the ground and somehow wove his way through traffic directly in the middle of the field for a miraculous TD.
Columbia Positives
-Once again, the Lion special teams stepped up to make the difference. In addition to the two incredible Roussos returns, kicker Chris Alleyne had another perfect day with a field goal and three PATs, and punter Drew Schmid had a number of excellent boots, averaging over 41-yards for the day and putting two kicks inside the 20. It was also Alleyne who made a huge tackle to stop Cornell's final kickoff return which otherwise may have ended with the Big Red in field goal range.
-Columbia got three sacks against a Cornell O-line that was one of the best in the league.
Columbia Negatives
-Lenhart has a lot of raw talent, and he was brilliant in Columbia's 75-yard scoring drive in the 4th quarter, but Cornell could have easily added to the two interceptions it snagged in the game.
-Columbia's pass defense was stellar all game long, until that 48-yard completion with 2:50 left. It was a rough time to finally give Banks an open man deep down the middle of the field.
-Lion play calling was a bit mystifying at times. While not spectacular, Columbia was having consistent success running the ball right up the middle. That made the occasional plays where Lion RB's were sent on sweeps and sideways runs seem strange when they consistently failed. Also, Lenhart's passes were almost all to the more dangerous middle of the field when he had a successful screen to Castner early in the game.
Columbia MVP
Obviously, this goes to Mike Roussos, who pulled off what was the most miraculous Lion win I've seen in all my 30-plus years of following this team every week. Yes, Columbia has come back from bigger deficits and against better teams. But the odds against this win with 58 seconds to go were massive. Just for context in our new sports analytics world, Cornell was 95% likely to win the game according to the ESPN/538.com meter after the Big Red scored its final TD. So returning a squib kickoff to win was likely the most improbable Lion victory scenario in team history.
Why Columbia Won
Columbia's backup, freshman kick returner Mike Roussos scored on a highly improbable 87-yard squib kickoff return for a TD with 45 seconds left to stun the Big Red. Roussos also had a 91-yard punt return for a TD earlier in the contest as the Lion special teams once again made the biggest difference in the game.
Why Cornell Lost
The Big Red couldn't cash in on enough scoring opportunities, despite out-gaining Columbia by 225 total yards. Cornell also had a disastrous day on special teams allowing two long TD returns and failing on two field goal attempts, the second from about extra point distance.
Key Turning Points
-With Columbia leading 10-0 and 13:57 left in the 2nd quarter, Lion RB Ryan Young pounded out a 33-yard run for an apparent 1st and goal at the Big Red 5 yard line. But the play was called back on a questionable illegal formation penalty and three plays later, QB Ty Lenhart threw the first of his two interceptions to give Cornell the ball back at the Columbia 49. The Lion offense wouldn't get back into a groove until the 4th quarter.
-With Columbia leading 10-7, Lenhart threw his second pick of the game to set the Big Red up again at the Lion 49. Four plays later, RB Harold Coles sprinted 31 yards untouched into the end zone for the first Cornell lead of the game at 14-10.
-On the ensuing Columbia possession, the Lions faced a 3rd and 14 at their 21 when Lenhart threw a pass to WR Kaleb Pitts, who was triple covered. But Pitts somehow came up with the ball for an improbable 25 yard gain. Lenhart would complete two more passes to convert two more 3rd and long plays during the drive before WR/QB Kyle Castner gave Columbia the lead back with a two yard TD run with 6:46 left in the game.
-Facing a 1st and 10 at the Big Red 22 with 2:50 to go, Cornell QB Dalton Banks completed his best play of the game by finding WR Owen Peters open in the middle of the field for a 48-yard completion. It took seven more plays for the Big Red to score, but Banks did grind it into the Lion end zone for a 21-17 lead with 58 seconds to go.
-On the ensuing kickoff, Cornell opted to go with a squib kick, even though kicker Zach Mays had previously booted the ball out of that same end zone for a harmless touchback earlier in the game. Roussos picked the kick up off the ground and somehow wove his way through traffic directly in the middle of the field for a miraculous TD.
Columbia Positives
-Once again, the Lion special teams stepped up to make the difference. In addition to the two incredible Roussos returns, kicker Chris Alleyne had another perfect day with a field goal and three PATs, and punter Drew Schmid had a number of excellent boots, averaging over 41-yards for the day and putting two kicks inside the 20. It was also Alleyne who made a huge tackle to stop Cornell's final kickoff return which otherwise may have ended with the Big Red in field goal range.
-Columbia got three sacks against a Cornell O-line that was one of the best in the league.
Columbia Negatives
-Lenhart has a lot of raw talent, and he was brilliant in Columbia's 75-yard scoring drive in the 4th quarter, but Cornell could have easily added to the two interceptions it snagged in the game.
-Columbia's pass defense was stellar all game long, until that 48-yard completion with 2:50 left. It was a rough time to finally give Banks an open man deep down the middle of the field.
-Lion play calling was a bit mystifying at times. While not spectacular, Columbia was having consistent success running the ball right up the middle. That made the occasional plays where Lion RB's were sent on sweeps and sideways runs seem strange when they consistently failed. Also, Lenhart's passes were almost all to the more dangerous middle of the field when he had a successful screen to Castner early in the game.
Columbia MVP
Obviously, this goes to Mike Roussos, who pulled off what was the most miraculous Lion win I've seen in all my 30-plus years of following this team every week. Yes, Columbia has come back from bigger deficits and against better teams. But the odds against this win with 58 seconds to go were massive. Just for context in our new sports analytics world, Cornell was 95% likely to win the game according to the ESPN/538.com meter after the Big Red scored its final TD. So returning a squib kickoff to win was likely the most improbable Lion victory scenario in team history.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Last Test
The Lions hoist the Empire State Bowl trophy in 2012
Cornell Big Red (3-6) at Columbia Lions (5-4)
November 17, 2018
Kickoff Time: 1:00pm
Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium
Game Time Weather Forecast: 46 degrees and partly sunny
The Line: Columbia is favored by 5 points
TV/Radio: The game will be broadcast live on the SNY Network, ESPN+, with an audio feed available on GoColumbiaLions.com.
Columbia Game Notes
Cornell Game Notes
Leading Story Lines
1) Columbia and Cornell meet in the season finale for the first time since 1904, thanks to a reshuffling of the Ivy schedule that began this year. This is the 106th meeting between the teams, who began their rivalry in the 1880s and have played each other every year since 1920. Ending the season against the Big Red adds a bit more drama to the Empire State Bowl, as the game was officially named in 2010.
2) Columbia is going for its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1961-62. Achieving a 6-4 record with a win today would be a strong team statement after losing its top three QB's, best WR, best LB, and many more to injuries this season. Cornell is looking to leap the Lions in the Ivy standings with its third Ivy win of the season.
3) This is the final game for some remarkable players. For Columbia, DB and two-time captain Landon Baty will be in the spotlight. For the Big Red, talented QB Dalton Banks will go under center for the last time.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Week 10 Picks
I went 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread last week to bring my current totals to 48-14 SU and 34-27-1 ATS)
CCSU +1 vs. Duquesne
CCSU will win.
Marist +12 vs. San Diego
I'd pick Marist to win if the weather were colder, but I just think they'll cover in 45 degree and sunny conditions.
Harvard -4 1/2 vs. Yale
The Crimson are poised to win by about a TD.
Holy Cross -9 1/2 at Georgetown
The Crusaders finish strong
Penn +27 1/2 at Princeton
The Tigers will win, but not but 25-plus.
Dartmouth -34 1/2 vs. Brown
The Big Green will make a final week statement.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Crucial Finale
Yeah, this weekend's game is in NYC, but this program from the game at Cornell in 1965 is just too cool not to share
A big part of me doesn't want to write this post.
There's something about having to remind or inform fans about why a particular game or moment is potentially so important that feels like it's jinxing the process.
But the fact that Columbia needs to win Saturday to clinch a winning record Saturday is just too important to leave alone.
Let's start by putting this in perspective for program history.
The Lions have enjoyed just four winning seasons over the past 47 years. That's not a typo. It's just four: 1971, 1994, 1996, and 2017. By math alone, clinching a fifth winning season this coming weekend is almost a once-in-decade occurrence. You don't have to be a longtime Columbia fan to appreciate the enormity of that.
But a win on Saturday against Cornell would also clinch CU's first two consecutive winning seasons since 1961-62... 56 years ago.
Now let's look at what going 6-4 will mean for this group of players and coaches in particular.
Remember, we're talking about a team that's be so decimated by injury it's been forced to start four different QB's, play six different QB's, lost its 1st Team All Ivy wide receiver, lost it's 2nd best WR for a few games, is down to its fourth string running back, lost its top linebacker, lost its top cornerback, and played a significant amount of time without several other starters.
This is a team that even when healthy, was playing with a first time starter at QB, and without its top CB and DL lost to graduation.
This is a team that has already come from behind in three games to win.
Beating Cornell would not only achieve that historic winning season, but it would be a victory over a team that's generally played well most of the season. The Big Red can boast wins over Harvard and Brown, with very competitive losses to Dartmouth and Yale.
This game already got some extra meaning added to it when the league changed the schedule for this season to make the Columbia-Cornell in state Ivy contest the season finale from now on. The fact is, the Columbia-Cornell game over the past 30 years or so has been the most likely contest in the Ivies to be decided by one score or less. Granted, neither team has been very good over that period, (Cornell does have two shared Ivy titles since 1988), but the games have been exciting and have achieved rivalry status.
Cornell always does a pretty good job of turning out big numbers of their fans on visitor side thanks to a marching band parade they do in Midtown Manhattan the evening after the game ends. So, the game usually has more of a throwback feel to way things used to on Ivy football Saturdays.
On the Columbia side, this is a chance to honor a bunch of seniors who truly bridged the journey from a Lion team that lost 24 in a row to one that is on the verge of back-to-back winning seasons.
This is a big one in Lion Land.
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