Ivy League Football

Mike McLeod runs into one of the few holes he saw all day (CREDIT: Yale Daily News)

There's a little more on the post-halftime, on-the-field bravado exhibited by both Columbia and Yale in this article from the Yale Daily News. One warning: It's a bit one-sided from the Yale perspective.

I'm not as up on the NCAA rule book as I'd like to be, and thus I am at a loss when it comes to the severity of the punishment for Lou Miller, who was ejected from the game Saturday for kneeing the Yale tight end on the sideline. Does anyone know if he has to sit out the next game as well? Obviously, it would be a shame if that's the case.

I have another question for the Columbia faithful: Who would you pick as the Lions' MVP of Saturday's game? Maybe Alex Gross for a series of great tackles? Owen Fraser for again plugging up the middle? Ray Rangel for a number of gutsy runs?

Later today, we'll get the updated stats from the Ivy League football office. I expect to see Columbia's overall defensive stats improve again, and the offense may get a pop in the stats too. Of course, we all wish for more wins instead, but we have to wait until Saturday for that either way.

On a brighter note, there is now a good reason to get to the Harvard game very early. For the second time in three years, Columbia women's soccer could be playing for the championship at 11 am Saturday just a little walk from Harvard Stadium. Columbia, Princeton, and Harvard are currently tied for first place.

In 2006, the Lions beat Harvard at Harvard on the last day of the season to clinch the title.

Should Jack go?

It must be nice to be just two seasons removed from an Ivy championship and just a year removed from a damn impressive 9-1 season...and still feel so strongly that your school deserves better in a head coach that you can publish an editorial calling for his ouster!

The editorial makes some good points, but the premise that Yale recruits the "best" athletes at just about every position is a little questionable.

The piece also ignores some relatively recent history. When Jack Siedlecki took over, Yale was at the bottom of the Ivy football ladder. The Elis had suffered through five straight non-winning seasons coming into Siedlecki's first season in 1997.

They had lost three straight to Columbia, five out of six to Princeton, and two straight heartbreakers to Harvard. Even Handsome Dan was having accidents on the clubhouse carpet.

Since then Yale has had some struggles, especially against Harvard (Siedlecki is 4-7 against the Crimson but once suffered through a very rough five-year losing streak to Harvard), but the team has won two titles and hasn't even come close to revisiting the Ivy cellar since Siedlecki's first season, when they went 0-7 in the league.

The biggest beef with Siedlecki in Eli-Land is the fact that Yale has blown a number of second-half leads in crucial games in recent years. As gut-wrenching as that can be, I know that every Columbia fan would take a few losses in return for a long string of winning seasons.

You also have to admire what Siedlecki has done by working to the strengths of the team to win. After years of using a rush-oriented attack with running QBs, he modified the team nicely when QB Jeff Mroz came on the scene and got him the receivers he needed to break some school passing records.

Then Siedlecki adjusted quickly again when Mike McLeod proved to be a super runner and restructured the team into a ball-control squad.

The kinks have come into the picture with injuries (McLeod is clearly not 100 percent and surely wasn't by the end of last season) and the increasing difficulty for every Ivy team to recruit good linemen. Not that it was ever easy, but getting big, fast offensive and defensive linemen is harder than ever before in the Ivies.

I'm not an apologist for Jack Siedlecki by any means. I too thought the 2006 loss at the Yale Bowl for Columbia was just ugly, with borderline unsportsmanlike conduct from Siedlecki and McLeod to go along with some very bad calls by the refs.

But I really don't think he should be fired right now. Forcing him to hire a new offensive coordinator seems like a better move.

Recent Bowl History

Columbia's history at the Bowl in the Siedlecki era has mostly been a tale of blowout losses. Jack is 5-0 against the Lions at home (9-2 overall), but two of those wins are a bit tainted.

The 2004 game ended with Columbia losing 21-14 after the refs didn't call what looked like a clear case of pass interference on tight end Wade Fletcher on an end zone pass from QB Jeff Otis.

The 2006 game has been hashed and rehashed on this blog many times. There was the very questionable pass interference call on JoJo Smith that set up Yale's first TD and took the momentum away from Columbia.

There was Craig Hormann's worst decision of an otherwise error-free season to throw a pass right at Bobby Abare that he returned for a TD when Columbia looked like it was on the way to taking the lead.

There was also Siedlecki's decision to call a timeout with the ball and a 14-3 lead with just seconds to go so the Elis could put up one more score.

It was just a rough, rough day for the Lions and their fans.

Some degree of revenge seemed within reach for the Lions last year as Columbia battled to a 0-0 halftime tie against the Elis at Wien Stadium before finally wilting in the third quarter.

But this Saturday can't be about revenge when most of the players on this squad weren't even around in 2006 to remember that game. The game should be about beating a quality opponent on the road, something Columbia almost did against Penn two weeks ago and has every chance of doing this time around.

Yale Bowl Viewing Tips

There a couple of things you should know if this is your first time going to the Yale Bowl.

1) By all means, sit on the Columbia side of the field and cheer the Lions on. But remember that will put the sun in your eyes by the second half and you will need sunglasses and a hat.

2) The bathrooms are actually outside the stadium, so bank yourself some time for potty trips.

3) The tailgating venue is the nicest and most expansive in the Ivies, with room to spread out and even get a pickup touch football game going. It's not too late to plan a little something for Saturday for you and your family and friends. (I will help you eat whatever you bring.)

Ladies and gentlemen: Your Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. (CREDIT: Columbia Spectator)

As much as I want to keep celebrating Columbia's first win in more than 13 months, it's hard not to ask the big question after the 21-13 win over Dartmouth: Who does Columbia start at QB this Saturday at Yale?

There's no doubt Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Millie Olawale's entrance into the game against the Big Green helped grab the momentum back and win the contest for the Lions. But there's also little doubt that Shane Kelly had a fine first half running and throwing the ball too.

Of course, it doesn't have to be either or. Kelly and Olawale could split time at QB, and some readers have even written to me about how they'd like to see both Kelly and Olawale in the backfield at the same time and let the defense try to figure out who's taking the snap, etc.

Having two good QBs at once is a good problem to have. But a bad problem for the Lions this coming weekend is the Yale defense. The Elis are playing stingily this season and consistently so.

Considering the way both Columbia's and Yale's defenses are playing this season, 20 points looks like it will be more than enough to win this game. It's getting the 20 points that will be the hard part.

Unsung Heroes

Getting back to celebrating, I want to mention a few unsung heroes from Saturday's win.

Corey Cameron

To a lot of Columbia fans, Cameron is "the other linebacker," often overlooked by folks focusing on team leader Drew Quinn and last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year Alex Gross.

Cameron wasn't even the man expected to start this season at that third linebacker slot. But the senior had another solid game versus Dartmouth and leveled some Green ball carriers with a few huge hits.

Ralph DeBernardo

On almost all of those great runs by Olawale, the senior right tackle DeBernardo was in the thick of it. The whole right side of the Lions' much-improved offensive line has been more than solid this season.

Mike Stephens

Mike made two very tough catches in the fourth quarter. The first set up a TD. The second gave the Lions a crucial first down deep in their own end late in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Kennedy

He made two catches, including one for 21 yards even though he was totally covered on the play. The sophomore tight end is having a breakthrough season and figures to play an even bigger role if Olawale gets more reps.

Nathan Lenz

The fullback provided another great safety valve, catching three passes for 17 yards.

Viewing Party

Please try to make the short trip to New Haven to see the Columbia game at Yale this Saturday. But if you can't make it, season ticket holders are invited to the following event.

A special viewing party has been set up for this week’s Columbia football game, televised live on the YES Network, with kickoff at 12:30 pm.

Join us at the Village Pourhouse on Amsterdam Avenue and West 109th Street at 12:00 noon and watch the game with other Columbia fans. There will be a full appetizer buffet and unlimited Bud Light and draft beer during the game for only $25 per person. Plus, during the game, we’ll have some fun raffle-type giveaways.

Reservations are required—please call Barry Neuberger at 212-854-7031 or e-mail bin2102@columbia.edu to reserve your seats. Let’s see if we can make it back-to-back wins this week! We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Penn 15, Columbia 10

Why Penn Won

They showed up and were in a receiving mood for Columbia's many turnovers and other miscues. The Quakers also made enough defensive adjustments in the second half to seal a win.

Why Columbia Lost

The Lions were in a giving mood, turning the ball over four times and also giving up a safety on a high punt snap. Columbia gave Penn each and every one of their 15 points. The miscues negated a tremendous performance by the defense, who played their best game of the season.

Key Turning Points

1) After the Lions got a quick first down into Penn territory on the first possession of the game, Shane Kelly hung a pass up that Britton Ertman picked off and returned to the Columbia 30. It was to be the beginning of a long day for Kelly and a big day for Ertman.

2) Late in the first quarter with the score tied at 3-3, Penn fumbled the snap, and it was recovered from Lion nose tackle Owen Fraser. But after getting one first down and then moving as close as the Quaker 36, Columbia was forced to punt. The Lions were unable to capitalize on the one Penn turnover of the game, while the Quakers would eventually score on three of the four Columbia giveaways.

3) With the score still tied at 3-3, Columbia opened the second quarter with two straight fumbles deep in their own end on their first two possessions. The result was 10 points for Penn and a 13-3 lead.

The leader on defense yesterday was Alex Gross, who made an incredible 17 tackles, and most of them were hard hits. He kept it going the entire game and even made the final first-down-saving tackle that gave the Lions one last chance in the fourth quarter.

Lou Miller had his best game to date with 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2.5 overall tackles for a loss.

The Columbia defense held Penn to just 83 net yards rushing. I can't remember the last time the Lions held an opponent to under 100 yards on the ground. The Quakers had just 10 first downs.

Ray Rangel had a tremendous first half, rushing for more than 70 yards and beating Penn up the middle time after time. The Quakers adjusted nicely to stop him in the second half, but he still came up big as he took huge hit after huge hit and never fumbled.

Jon Rocholl had a strong game—hitting his one field goal attempt, nailing his kickoffs, and getting a rare touchback on the free kick after safety. It was the best game yet for the Lions kick coverage team against a Penn team that had the best kick returners they'd faced yet.

The Lions need to force Robert Irvin to make a mistake


As many of you have probably noticed, the media's attention on our current 12-game losing streak is starting to grow. The latest issue of Sports Illustrated puts the football team in "Not" file for the "Who's Hot and Who's Not" feature, proving once again that the major sports media outlets are basically only interested in poking fun of Ivy teams rather than singling them out when they do well (however, they also had some kind words for Columbia baseball at least).

We can gripe about how unfair it is, but respect is earned and we have lost 12 straight games fair and square. We can all wait for when the Lions play weaker teams like Dartmouth at home next week, but the record-breaking 44-game losing streak was ended with a win over then league favorite Princeton...so why not a big win tomorrow against heavily favored Penn?

Here's what we'll need to do to win:

1) Use the Deeper Pass to Open up the Run

Penn is super-stingy against the run and the pass, but the Quakers really haven't had to defend the kind of long passes Shane Kelly has thrown to Taylor Joseph and once or twice to Austin Knowlin this season. If star corner Tyson Maugle doesn't play, the Lions have to test that secondary early and often. If Columbia can establish that attack, it should open up some opportunities for running, even up the middle.

2) Use the Option to Loosen up the Defense

Penn faced the option offense last week against Georgetown and did pretty well against it in the early going, allowing the Hoyas running QB just 35 yards on nine carries and forcing him to fumble inside the Quaker 10 yard line.

But they did well, they did not dominate and with all due respect, Columbia is not Georgetown. If the option is working as crisply as it was at times against Princeton, the Lions can use it to establish good yards on the ground and open up the passing game.

3) Blitz Robert Irvin a Lot

Even when he was healthy in 2006, Penn QB Robert Irvin often threw costly interceptions, especially on third downs. He has four INTs so far in 2008, and that's not terrible but not good either considering he's not taking all the snaps. The way Lions CB Calvin Otis delivers big hits, I'd like to see him or AJ Maddox blitzing from the outside once in a while. Even if they don't get to Irvin, they may force a mistake.

4) Contain Chris Wynn as Much as Possible

Wynn is a super kick returner and will be the top defensive weapon for the Quakers on the field tomorrow. He needs to be neutralized as much as possible. Good kick coverage is a must and successfully throwing away from him is also probably a good idea.

Again, this could mean tight end Andrew Kennedy will need to get more involved underneath while the deep pattern receivers tie up Wynn. As Chuck Noll used to say, the difference between a five-yard reception and a long TD catch and run is whether the wide receivers are blocking downfield. An underneath throw or two to Zack Kourouma may also work in keepin Wynn away from the passing game.

5) Keep Alex Gross and Corey Cameron Active

It appears the Quaker offense will be keying on Drew Quinn based on Coach Bagnoli's comments earlier this week. Quinn is the game captain this week along with Jon Rocholl, so I still expect another big game from him (especially since he is the de facto PERMANENT team captain in my opinion anyway), but if he is getting extra attention then Alex Gross and Corey Cameron need to take advantage.

Columbia needs to respond well to what I expect to be a lot of rotating tailbacks for the Quakers tomorrow.

And it goes without saying that Phil Mitchell still needs to make more of an impact rushing the passer. He is getting double-teamed a lot and it has to be frustrating, but with the emerging presence of Owen Fraser on the line, something needs to open up for Mitchell soon.

Is this a winnable game? They really all are this year. But a win tomorrow would be extra sweet for a Columbia team that hasn't beaten Penn since 1996.

It won't be easy. I again expect to see a motivated Quaker squad approaching this game as if it were the Super Bowl against a Columbia team that stole its lunch money and insulted its family.

Perhaps Coach Bagnoli threatens to make the team clean the bathrooms at Franklin Field for a week or something if they lose to the Lions, but whatever he does to motivate his troops against us year after year, it works.

So, it's a tall order perhaps...but not impossible.

Matt Hamscher will probably carry the load this Saturday (CREDIT: Daily Pennsylvanian)

First off, we have some injury news. Penn coach Al Bagnoli says top rusher Mike DiMaggio will dress for the game but will probably not play that much, if at all. He was knocked out of the game against Georgetown last week and did not return.

That means freshman Matt Hamscher, who filled in for DiMaggio quite nicely with 102 yards on 21 carries last week, will probably be the go-to guy with help from sophomore tailback Bradford Blackmon (the guy Columbia recruited, but obviously went to the Quakers).

Clearly, they are both talented runners, but I think they are a downgrade from DiMaggio, who many believe was already a downgrade of sorts from Penn's now-graduated rushing star Joe Sandberg. Sandberg torched the Lions for 197 yards on 22 carries last year.

As much as the banged-up running corps may help Columbia, this is a Penn team that really relies on its defense.

In the preseason, it looked like the Quakers were in trouble on the defensive line due to the graduation of a couple of big-time players like Naheem Harris. But all the Quakers have done this season is continue to stuff the run and hold opponents to a total of 15 points per game.

In the Ivy opener, Penn held Dartmouth, with one of the better runners in this league in Milan Williams, to just five total rushing yards for the game.

On the bright side, the Quakers did give up a lot more yards to Georgetown's option attack last week. But many of those yards came after the game was decided against the Quaker backups.

Penn is also riding high on the play of defensive backs Tyson Maugle and Chris Wynn. But Maugle is not listed in the Penn two-deep and may still be out after missing the Georgetown game. The Quakers are allowing a paltry 148 yards passing per game and have picked off seven passes already this year.

Wynn is also a great kick returner as he had a KO return for a TD to open the game last week.

Offensively, this looks like a weaker Penn team than we've seen in a while, and the running back situation doesn't improve that outlook. QB Robert Irvin is having just a so-so year again, with as many interceptions as TD passes.

Backup passer Kyle Olson, who is also the punter, has potential, but Bagnoli is keeping him on a short leash (but much like the old Dallas Cowboys under Danny White, you have to worry about the fake when Olson goes back to punt).

The receivers are all pretty talented, but there are no Miles Macik types in the crew. The best weapon through the air may be tight end Josh Koontz, who is playing a bigger role this year.

Special teams are much improved. Wynn is doing very well returning kickoffs AND punts and is looking to challenge Cornell's Brian Walters for the title of best returner in the Ivies. Kicker Andrew Samson is becoming solid if not spectacular. Remember, this is a Penn team still smarting from some horrific kicking failures in 2005 and 2006.

On paper, this Quaker squad seems vulnerable—and that's what worries me. As usual, I expect Penn to be super-motivated for Columbia, and they will come out pumped up no matter what injuries they have. The defense will be looking to make an early statement with a big sack, hit, or interception.

Next stop, Franklin Field

Lafayette 13 Columbia 3


Why Lafayette Won

The Leopards defense was dominanting and the offense had just enough spark to win. They made no turnovers and no stupid penalties and overcame injuries to some key players, including starting tailback Maurice White, who went out of the game for good in the first quarter.


Why Columbia Lost

The Lions got very little going offensively, and when they were in a position to score, they blew most of those rare opportunities. Columbia had two first and goal situations that could have led to a total of 14 points. Instead they came away with just three points, leaving 11 points on the table in a game they lost by just 10 points.


Key Turning Points

1) Late in the first quarter with Lafayette leading by 3-0, Mike Stephens energized the crowd with a beautiful 53-yard punt return for a first down at the Leopard 24. Three plays later, Columbia had a first and goal at the Lafayette seven, but moved the ball no closer. Jon Rocholl's eventual 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked and the Lions came away with no points.

2) On the ensuing drive, Lafayette took the ball 80 yards for a TD and 10-0 lead. The key play on the drive was a 30-yard pass on a third and six from QB Rob Curley to Tim Watson who split the seam against the left side of the defense just like Princeton did three times in the previous game.

3) Columbia had an excellent opportunity to cut the Lafayette lead to 10-7 at the end of the half, but two running attempts after a first and goal at the one went nowhere. The Lions had to settle for a field goal because the clock was running down and the Leopards had a touchdown lead going into the lockeroom.

On the bright side, this was a strong game for the Columbia defense. Drew Quinn had another monster game with 13 tackles giving him 54 on the season after just four games!

Freshman nose tackle Owen Fraser continues to impress. He had seven tackles, including one for a loss. For the most part, Columbia's opponents are avoiding running the ball right up the middle against the Lions, and he's the biggest reason why. That's a welcome change from last year.

Lafayette's defense made Shane Kelly look like an almost totally different quarterback than he's been so far this season. Kelly didn't throw an interception, and he went a decent 18-for-33. But he held the ball way too long over and over as the Leopard defense bottled up the Lion receivers all day.

Kelly also had a lot of trouble getting the option going and Columbia was fortunate not to have any turnovers despite four fumbles and a couple of Kelly passes that could have been picked off.

Austin Knowlin only had one catch for 17 yards. His lower numbers across the board this season are starting to get weird. It seems like he could break out at any time, but when?

Without the injured Jordan Davis, the Lions opted to use Ray Rangel for just about every running play. Against Lafayette's strong run defense that just didn't work.

Tight end Andrew Kennedy did make more of an impact that he has in most of the games this season with five catches for 42 yards. I expect him to continue to post similar stats for the rest of the season.

The Leopards got a nice lift from D'Andre Morrow, who replaced the injured White and brought some great speed to the table. The Lions eventually were able to contain him, but his excellent run for the game's only TD was impressive and more a result of his strength and determination than a missed tackle by the Columbis defense.

Andy Shalbrack made his presence felt with 11 total tackles, including two monster back-to-back tackles for a loss in the fourth quarter. He also almost grabbed an interception.

Kalasi Huggins suited up but did not play after going out of the game against Princeton. Fellow freshman AJ Maddox replaced him and he did a nice job despite missing a few plays himself after getting banged up in the game. Overall, the Lion secondary did a fantastic job holding the Leopards to just 150 yards passing and superstar receiver Shaun Adair to just three catches for 11 yards.

Taylor Joseph had the best day receiving for Columbia with five catches for 59 yards. He continues to impress in his junior year.

All in all, this was another game Columbia lost that they could have won. However, this was clearly the first game where they definitely seemed like the weaker team on the field that day. The Lions have to try to build on the improving defense while getting the offense back on track. The next opponent, Penn, has to at least be a little worried that the team that scored 24 points against them in week two barely managed 13 against Columbia.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Call this Saturday's games a "return to normalcy" in the Ivies as some of the favorites, namely Yale and Harvard, rolled to easy victories over Ivy opponents.

Harvard scored a TD in the first millisecond against Cornell and then rolled to a 38-17 win. So much for Cornell's perfect record. The Big Red looked lost much of the day.

Yale overpowered the Big Green in Hanover and won 34-7.

Brown lost to Holy Cross 41-34 in a non-league game, but what a game it was. Listen to these stats:

1) Bear QB Michael Dougherty went 41-of-60 for 526 yards, four TDs and no interceptions.

2) Brown ran the ball a grand total of 12 times the entire game.

3) There were no turnovers in the game.

After three weeks of playing relatively low-scoring games, the high-powered Brown offense is back.

Princeton lost a tough one on the road to a very good Colgate team, 27-24. Jordan Culbreath, who Columbia really shut down last week, ran for 153 yards on just 18 carries. QB Brian Anderson, who really hurt the Lions last week, had a rough game, going 6-for-14 for 105 yards, one TD and an INT.

This means the winner of the Brown-Princeton game this coming Saturday in New Jersey will be all alone atop the Ivy standings.

Penn beat the weak Georgetown Hoyas in Washington, 27-7, but starting tailback Michael Dimaggio went down with a separated shoulder and it's unclear when he'll be back. Freshman Matt Hamscher came up big replacing Dimmagio and running for 102 yards and TD.

Columbia must make it a long day for Leopard QB Rob Curley.

The Lions are super-hungry for a win after three very close losses that the everyone knows could have been wins.

But Lafayette is certainly no easy opponent. On paper, they certainly seem like the best or close to the best team the Lions have faced all year. On the other hand, Columbia is improving steadily, especially on offense, and the Lions certainly have the weapons to win if they can get the following done:

1) Test and Take it to the Lafayette Offensive Line

For some reason, the Leopards are giving up a lot of sacks and despite having a super physical runner in Maurice White and a superstar wide receiver in Shaun Adair, the team's overall offensive numbers are not as impressive as they should be. I think this is the O-line's fault and Columbia defenders must force the issue and get into the Lafayette backfield early and offense.

Getting pressure on QB Rob Curley is also not an option, it's a must. The Lions need sacks, hurries, knock downs, and generally make Curley feel worse about coming to New York this weekend than a European tourist who didn't realize the dollar has rallied big-time in the last few weeks.

2) Let Shane Kelly do his Magic

Lafayette's front seven is a great strength overall, but the power is centered in linebackers Andy Romans and Brian Leggiero. Kelly needs to get them to back off the line of scrimmage by throwing it long early and then burning the spread-out defense with some option runs and short passes. I think this may be the game for tight end Andrew Kennedy to make some noise.

3) Win on Special Teams

There can be no more excuses now for short kickoffs or any other problems. But avoiding problems is not enough. Columbia needs to hurt the Leopards with long returns, and big hits when they cover kicks.

4) Don't Let Down

Grabbing the momentum has been no trouble for these Lions so far this season, keeping it has been another story. The team needs to resist breathing a sigh of relief when they take leads or tie games up and get hungrier.

Here are some fascinating tidbits from the Ivy football stats, (they have now been corrected to give full credit for all tackles):

1) Drew Quinn is leading the Ivies in tackles. He's a full seven tackles ahead of the No. 2 tacklers, a tie between the Lions' Alex Gross and Princeton's Steven Cody. No. 4 is Columbia's Andy Shalbrack. So all four of the Ivy's top four leading tacklers will be on the field at Wien Stadium for Homecoming on Saturday.

2) Quinn is also tied for the league lead in fumbles forced with two.

3) After what seems like decades of being dead last in the league in rushing, the Lions are third in rushing offense. BUT, they are a full 42 yards per game behind the No. 2 squad, Princeton. AND Yale, with the great Mike McLeod is actually LAST in the league at this point in rushing!

4) Columbia is in a familiar seventh place spot in rush defense, BUT the Lions are a big 174 yards per game BETTER than the last place team, Dartmouth.

5) The Lions were No. 1 in pass defense last season, but are currently in dead last. Both of those stats are misleading.

6) Columbia is last in time of possession, a stat that is not misleading as the Lions have really suffered from that so far.

7) The Lions are tied with Cornell for the best turnover ratio in the Ivies, at +3.

8) The Ivy League's leading rusher, Jordan Culbreath is a Princeton Tiger. He will bring his 5.3 yards per carry average to Wien Stadium Saturday. Because Columbia is truly running the ball by committee so far, no Lion rusher is in the Ivy top 10 despite the fact that the team is third in rushing overall.

9) Shane Kelly leads the Ivies in TD passes with four. Only one of them has gone to Austin Knowlin. I'm guessing that will change and the league should be afraid.

10) Kelly leads the league in the mysterious statistic known as "pass efficiency." It's really an odd stat that doesn't quite tell you as much as you'd like. But I'll take it.

11) Jon Rocholl is a surprising sixth in the league in punting, but he has the longest punt of the season at 59 yards, and he's been playing like an MVP with two big saves on punt snaps above his head.

All three of Columbia's non-conference opponents are in action this Saturday, and weather permitting, all the games start at the same time!

Fordham takes on the University of Rhode Island at home in what has become the annual confusing "Rams vs. Rams" showdown.  The game is scheduled to begin at 6 pm at Jack Coffey Field.  Lions fans can do some "advance scouting" by listening to the game on WFUV on the Web, and you can find that link on the Fordham sports Web site.

Fordham's two-deep has been released, and there are no real surprises other than co-captain and star defensive lineman Fonzie Culver being listed as a backup to fellow senior Ryan Mehra.  I assume that is because of some injury to Culver, but perhaps there are other reasons.

Fordham won this game in Kingston last year, and they will be strongly favored this time around, as URI is rebuilding with new head coach Darren Rizzi, who was an assistant to Greg Schiano at Rutgers.  URI is actually 1-0 after eking out a 27-24 win over Monmouth last week.

Lafayette heads to New York to face Marist, also at 6 pm.  Marist is 0-1 after losing to the University of San Diego by a 40-22 score last weekend in California.  I don't see any game notes from either school, but you can expect Lafayette to roll in this game.

Finally, Towson plays its second game of the season.  The Tigers have scheduled their home opener against Morgan State for 6 pm at Johnny Unitas Stadium.  The school is very excited about the unveiling of its new 47-foot wide Daktronics HD video board.  Towson narrowly beat Morgan State last season, and this game should also be a close one.

While it's often frustrating the Ivy schools have to wait so long to start their seasons, this weekend is not one where I will be envying our non-conference foes.  The weather is really expected to be nasty this Saturday in New York and Baltimore, and I wonder if lightning will play a role in any of these games.

Of course, there's no guarantee the weather will be better in two weeks when Columbia gets going with its season.  But this Saturday seems like it will be uniquely nasty.