Ivy League Football

Austin Knowlin's teammates looked past the bare stats


The football team held the actual, official awards dinner last night and the honorees were:

2008 Columbia Lions Varsity Football Awards

Phil Fusco Award: Gary Mesko (Sr., WR)

Maniatty-Remmer Unsung Hero Award: Chad Musgrove (Sr., Student Assistant)

John J. Cirigliano Ironman Award: Corey Cameron (Sr., LB)

Lou Little Coaches Most Improved Award: Corey Cameron (Sr., LB)

Ken Germann Freshman Award: Owen Fraser (Fr., DL)

Special Forces Award: Jon Rocholl (Sr., P/K)

Most Valuable Offense: M.A. Olawale (Jr., QB)

Most Valuable Defense: Alex Gross (So., LB)

Sid Luckman Most Valuable Player Award: Austin Knowlin (JR., WR) and Alex Gross (So., LB)

Campbell-Murff Captains Award: Mike Brune (Sr., OL), Drew Quinn (Sr., LB), Jordan Davis (Sr., RB)

Jack Armstrong Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Mike Brune (Sr.)


I was happy and interested to see Alex Gross singled out so many times, as well as Austin Knowlin. It appears Knowlin's teammates realized his diminished receiving stats were not his fault and he still impacted the team in a significant way game after game.

I was also happy to see three players being named official captains for 2008. I wonder if the same three guys named at the end of the season would have been named by the players after the spring game. Probably the answer is "yes," but I can't be sure.

I guess my biggest surprise was not seeing Lou Miller's name after any of the major awards. But he has been honored a lot by the Ivy League in recent weeks, so I can't think he feels slighted in any way.


Yale News?

We're right in the thick of the key recruiting season as a number of prospects get set to make their college decisions.

And that's why I expect to hear the news that Yale has chosen and hired a new head football coach well before the end of the year.

And yet, I still haven't heard any reports of plausible names or negotiations out of New Haven so far.

I do think it might be good for the league if Yale gets some kind of big name. Any added media attention would help right now, and since big names don't necessarily creat success on their own, there's no reason to believe Columbia would suffer on the field against the Elis because of it, (in fact there's just as much likelihood that going up against a big-named coach could make things easier for a time for Yale's opponents!).

Here's a question: When was the last time an Ivy team with a winning record had to look for a new coach for the following season?

The answer is kind of mixed. The last time an Ivy team with an overall winning record and a winning record in the Ivies had to switch coaches was 1997 when both Brown and Cornell, (Brown was 7-3 and 4-3 Ivy under Mark Whipple and Cornell was 6-4 and 4-3 Ivy under Jim Hofher), had to find new coaches. Things worked out really well for Brown under new coach Phil Estes in 1998, as the Bears went 7-3 and 5-2 for a second place Ivy finish. Cornell took a big step back in the first-year coach Pete Mangurian, who went 4-6 and just 1-6 in the Ivies.

Looking at Ivy records only, Cornell's Mangurian guided the Big Red to a 5-2 Ivy record in 2000, (5-5 overall), and left at the end of the season.

The point is, Yale is coming off a 6-4 overall/4-3 Ivy season and winning Ivy teams rarely have to replace their coaches. Just looking at record alone, you'd expect a lot of coaches to be knocking down the door to get a shot to lead the Elis. But a close look shows that Yale is dealing with the reality of serious graduation attrition for the coming year. Mike McLeod, Bobby Abare, and so many other big name stars on this team are donning caps and gowns in five months time. It would appear that 2009 will be a rebuilding year at Yale no matter what. Of course with those kinds of expectations, maybe that's the kind of atmosphere a new coach craves.

Here's another good trivia question: Columbia won its last two home games of 2008. When was the last time the Lions won three or more in a row at home?

The answer is 1996-97, when Columbia won its last two home games of 1996, (Cornell and Brown), and then won the '97 home opener against Towson. The only other time Columbia won three in a row at Wien Stadium was in 1994 when the Lions beat Lafayette, Princeton and Cornell.

Of course, these are just Wien Stadium records. The Lions had many long winning streaks at the old Baker Field stadium before getting their new digs in 1984.

Eat your heart out, Heisman!

The best movies get Oscars, the best TV shows get Emmys, and the best Columbia football players get Jakeys.

Thus begins a new tradition.

I know the annual team dinner is a week from today where the official school awardees will be named. But I'd like to throw in some of my own awards if I could.

I'll start my categories and my own nominees. Please feel free to nominate whomever you like in any category in the comments section and I'll consider a more complete list during the week.

Here we go:

FRESHMAN/ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Owen Fraser, DT

Fraser burst onto the scene right in week one and seemed to be the one biggest reason why the Lions shut down the run so much more effectively this year...especially up the middle. His imposing size and surprising speed were a joy to watch.

Kalasi Huggins, CB

Got the opening day start and proved no one could really get separation from him on passing routes. Sometimes he covered receivers TOO close, not even realizing the pass was on its way. Was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after the week two loss at Towson.

A.J. Maddox, CB/Special Teams

The speedy corner got plenty of playing time, filling in when Huggins was injured in the middle part of the season and alternating with him at other points. On special teams, he burned down the field time after time, especially on punt coverages. May be the fastest man on the team.

SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR

Alex Gross, LB

The 2007 Ivy League Rookie of the Year got even better in year 2, leading the Ivies in tackles and making his presence felt all over the field. Gross was a big reason most teams were shut down when trying to take things to the outside against the Lions.

Adam Mehrer, S

Led the team in interceptions and made sure teams throwing away from Andy Shalback couldn't relax.

Ian Quirk, OG

The sophomore broke into the starting lineup and helped bolster Columbia's much-improved offensive line. The Lions truly missed him when he was too banged up to play the final two games.

Zack Kourouma, RB

Showed his speed as a runner and a receiver in a number of games, especially at Towson and Harvard. Finished the year with two TD's and a hefty 7.6 yards per carry on an admittedly paltry 11 carries. Seems like he has a great shot at being a starting tailback in 2009.

Calvin Otis, CB

Had an outstanding year as the starting corner. His pickoff in the second half against Cornell set up the Lions' go-ahead score.

Mike Stephens, WR

Broke into the starting lineup and made an immediate impact. Finished first on the team in receiving yards and made a nice catch for a TD versus Towson. Did a decent job returning punts before being replaced by Austin Knowlin, including breaking off a 53-yarder against Lafayette. His crushing fumble against Princeton was a heart-breaker, but he bounced back nicely with courage. Hes becoming a fan favorite.

JUNIOR OF THE YEAR

Lou Miller, DE

This junior had an explosive season, going from just 26 tackles as a sophomore to 68 in 2008. His 19.5 tackles for a loss led the Ivies, and he was also the league leader with eight sacks. In 2007, he had only four TFL's and one sack.

Austin Knowlin, WR/Special Teams

Still the most explosive player on the team despite seeing his receiving stats crash hard from last year. Scored four receiving TD's and two more on a pair of 76-yard punt returns on back-to-back weeks. Also made some great moves as a rusher on afew reverses and direct snaps. Was a key part of both Columbia wins, with a receiving TD versus Dartmouth and a back-breaking punt return for a score against Cornell.

M.A. Olawale, QB

Coaches finally set him loose at the end of the Dartmouth game and he won the game with a brilliant drive capped off by a 10-yard TD run. Ran all over Cornell in the week 9 win at Wien Stadium as well. In the season finale, he became the first Lion rusher to gain 100 yards or more since Jordan Davis did it in week three of 2007.

His 70-yard run in that Brown game was the longest rush from scrimmage for any Ivy player in 2008. We still don't know the extent of his injury from that game, but he certainly has a lot of time to recover.

Evan Sanford, C

Starting at center for the first time, Sanford did a great job controlling the middle and opening up holes. With the graduations of senior Ralph DeBernado and Mike Brune from the O-line, Sanford will probably be the leader of that crucial unit next year.

Taylor Joseph, WR/LS

Often-overlooked player who just keeps doing whatever his teams asks of him. Had another solid year as a receiver with 30 catches for 365 yards, Also was forced into emergency duty as the long snapper due to another player's injury and did improve as the season went along.

Andy Shalbrack, S

The elder statesman of a young secondary thrived in his leadership role in 2008. Shut down a number of opposing passing attacks in his area and made two key interceptions in Columbia's two wins.

SENIOR OF THE YEAR

Drew Quinn, LB

After an injury-plagued 2007 season, Quinn burst back onto the scene and went from 62 tackles, (with just 1.5 TFL's), to 88 stops with 5 TFL's. He also had a interception return for a TD and two forced fumbles.

Mike Brune, OL

Generally seen by opposing teams as the best Lion offensive lineman on a team that improved by leaps and bounds in total rushing yards gained, (627 on 2007 to 1,397 in 2008), and went from 28 sacks allowed in 2007 to just 16 allowed in 2008.

Ralph DeBernardo, OL

Also battled injuries and gained back enough weight to start all 10 games on the line. Moved to guard in the final two games to accommodate an injury to Quirk and the resulting reshuffle.

Jon Rocholl

Had a really solid year as a field goal kicker, nailing 9 of 11 attempts, including a 47-yarder that was the longest successful FG in the Ivies in 2008. Still looked good as a punter as well. He also had his best season on kickoffs. He will be sorely missed next season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

M.A. Olawale

Austin Knowlin

Evan Sanford

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lou Miller

Alex Gross

Owen Fraser

Drew Quinn

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Ray Rangel

Started getting into a groove as a runner and as a receiver. Scored key TD's in both Columbia wins. Had a huge first half against Penn, keeping Columbia in the game.

Lou Miller

Mike Stephens

Zack Kourouma

Adam Mehrer

2008 TEAM MVP

Lou Miller

Alex Gross

M.A. Olawale

Austin Knowlin

Chris Pizzotti: Your Ivy League Player of the Year

I was pretty close to getting everything I wanted from the All-Ivy honors list for Columbia's top players. There were some minor snubs, but nothing major.

Here's the complete list below.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chris Pizzotti, Harvard (Sr., QB, Reading, Mass.)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Matthew Hanson, Harvard (Fr., DB, Lafayette, Colo.)

ALL-IVY

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

OL -- Daris Dale, Yale (Sr., Seattle, Wash.)
OL -- Paul Jasinowski, Brown (Jr., Washington, D.C.)
OL -- Shane Kelley, Brown (Sr., Naples, Fla.)
OL -- Chris Kovalcik, Penn (Sr., Westwood, Mass.)
OL -- James Williams, Harvard (Jr., Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
QB -- Chris Pizzotti, Harvard (Sr., Reading, Mass.)
RB -- *Jordan Culbreath, Princeton (Jr., Falls Church, Va.)
RB -- Mike McLeod, Yale (Sr., New Britain, Conn.)
WR -- Buddy Farnham, Brown (Jr., Andover, Mass.)
WR -- Matt Luft, Harvard (Jr., Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
WR -- Bobby Sewall, Brown (Jr., Portsmouth, R.I.)
TE -- *Colin Cloherty, Brown (Sr., Bethesda, Md.)
PK -- Andrew Samson, Penn (So., West Bloomfield, Mich.)

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL -- Matt Curtis, Harvard (Sr., Peabody, Mass.)
DL -- Kyle Hawari, Yale (Sr., Plano, Texas)
DL -- David Howard, Brown (Sr., Columbia, Md.)
DL -- Lou Miller, Columbia (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio)
LB -- Bobby Abare, Yale (Sr., Acton, Mass.)
LB -- Glenn Dorris, Harvard (Sr., Marietta, Ga.)
LB -- Alex Gross, Columbia (So., Kettering, Ohio)
LB -- Eric Schultz, Harvard (Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.)
DB -- Andrew Berry, Harvard (Sr., Bel Air, Md.)
DB -- Tim Bax, Cornell (Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
DB -- Nkosi Still, Brown (Sr., Hyde Park, Mass.)
DB -- Chris Wynn, Penn (Jr., Flemington, N.J.)
P -- Robert Ranney, Brown (Sr., West Bloomfield, Mich.)

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

OL -- Matt Adkins, Brown (Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.)
OL -- Mike Brune, Columbia (Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.)
OL -- Alex Spisak, Harvard (Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
OL -- Mark Paski, Princeton, Chester, N.J.)
OL -- Steve Valenta, Cornell (Sr., Orland Park, Ill.)
QB -- Michael Dougherty, Brown (Sr., Davie, Fla.)
RB -- Michael DiMaggio, Penn (So., Sewell, N.J.)
RB -- Gino Gordon, Harvard (So., Bonita, Calif.)
RB -- Dereck Knight, Brown (Sr., Pawtucket, R.I.)
WR -- Jesse Baker, Cornell (Sr., Platteville, Wis.)
WR -- Austin Knowlin, Columbia (Jr., Newington, Conn.)
WR -- Will Thanheiser, Princeton (Sr., Houston, Texas)
TE -- Josh Koontz, Penn (Sr., Mechanicsburg, Pa.)
PK -- John Rocholl, Columbia (Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.)

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL -- Peter Ajayi, Harvard (Sr., Brookyn, N.Y.)
DL -- Desmond Bryant, Harvard (Sr., Elizabethtown, N.C.)
DL -- Peter Buchignani, Princeton (Sr., Bloomington, Ill.)
DL -- Jim Develin, Brown (Jr., Gilbertsville, Pa.)
DL -- Joe Goniprow, Penn (Jr., Barrington, R.I.)
DL -- Joe Hathway, Yale (Sr., Clifton, N.J.)
DL -- Joe Rost, Penn (Sr., Carmichael, Calif.)
LB -- Jay Colabella, Penn (Jr., West Harrison, N.Y.)
LB -- Jake Lewko, Penn (Jr., Medford, N.J.)
LB -- Drew Quinn, Columbia (Sr., Maineville, Ohio)
LB -- Steve Ziogas, Brown (Sr., Bristol, Conn.)
DB -- Larry Abare, Yale (Sr., Acton, Mass.)
DB -- Chris Perkins, Brown (Jr., Bridgeton, Mo.)
DB -- Steve Santoro, Yale (Sr., Airmont, N.Y.)
DB -- Ian Wilson, Dartmouth (Sr., Burbank, Calif.)
DB -- Collin Zych, Harvard (So., Plano, Texas)
P -- Tom Mante, Yale (Jr., Westford, Mass.)

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

OL -- Quentin Bernhard, Cornell (Jr., Alameda, Calif.)
OL -- Zach Copple, Harvard (Sr., Lincoln, Neb.)
OL -- Ty Davis, Yale (Sr., Fresno, Calif.)
OL -- Ryan Pilconis, Harvard (Sr., Pottsville, Pa.)
OL -- Tom Rodger, Harvard (Sr., Glen Ridge, N.J.)
QB -- Nathan Ford, Cornell (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif.)
RB -- Milan Williams, Dartmouth (Sr., Mobile, Ala.)
WR -- Tim McManus, Dartmouth (So., St. Paul, Minn.)
WR -- Brian Walters, Cornell (Jr., Bothel, Wash.)
TE -- Jason Miller, Harvard (Sr., Zionsville, Ind.)
PK -- Patrick Long, Harvard (Jr., Wilmington, N.C.)
PK -- Tom Mante, Yale (Jr., Westford, Mass.)

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

DL -- Owen Fraser, Columbia (Fr., Newburgh, N.Y.)
DL -- Matt Koch, Princeton (Sr., Ponte Verde, Fla.)
DL -- Guillermo Ruffolo, Penn (Sr., Webster, N.Y.)
LB -- Scott Britton, Princeton (Jr., Newton, Pa.)
LB -- Steven Cody, Princeton (So., Midlothian, Va.)
LB -- Brady Hart, Yale (Sr., State College, Pa.)
LB -- Graham Rihn, Cornell (Sr., Allison Park, Pa.)
DB -- Miles Craigwell, Brown (Sr., Boston, Mass.)
DB -- Britton Ertman, Penn (Sr., Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
DB -- Casey Gerald, Yale (Sr., Dallas, Texas)
DB -- Matthew Hanson, Harvard (Fr., Lafayette, Colo.)
DB -- Jay Pilkerton, Yale (Sr., Nashville, Tenn.)
DB -- Paul Rice, Yale (Jr., Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
P -- Ryan Coyle, Princeton (Sr., Princeton, N.J.)
P -- John Rocholl, Columbia (Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.)
P -- Brian Scullin, Dartmouth (Sr., Alexandra, Va.)

* - Unanimous Selection

My biggest regret is that Ralph DeBernardo was not mentioned at all, but it's a tough deal when you play O-line on a team that scored so few points overall.

The good news was the recognition of both Fraser and Knowlin.

Other points of note

- Junior Lou Miller was the only non-senior defensive lineman on the first team.

- Sophomore Alex Gross was the only non-senior linebacker on the first team. Gross and Penn's kicker Andrew Samson were the only sophomore first-teamers.

- Cornell and Dartmouth were completely shut out of the first team roster. Dartmouth had only one player on the second team, and Cornell had just two.

- All the wide receivers on the first team were juniors, along with Austin Knowlin, who made the second team as a junior WR.

- I thought choosing Pizzotti for the Bushnell Cup was a solid choice. As a graduating senior, he goes out on top. Not on top was last year's winner Mike McLeod. We'll probably never know if offensive line attrition or injury was the biggest reason for his drop-off from 2007.

- It's downright scary that Harvard's Luft and Brown's Sewall and Farnham will be back next season. It really makes it a lot easier for both of those teams as they look for new starting QBs.

Comment away...

We should get the All-Ivy and Bushnell-Cup honoree names sometime today or tomorrow. Even though Columbia was a 2-8 team, the Lions should be well represented on the list.

Some of our players that should be in the running for All Ivy consideration are:


First Team

Lou Miller, DE

Led the Ivies in sacks, tackles for a loss, total tackles for a defensive lineman. He should be a no-brainer first teamer.


Alex Gross, LB

Led the Ivies in tackles. Had 17 more than the number-two tackler in the league. Only Yale's Bobby Abare had more solo tackles.


Ralph DeBarnardo and Mike Brune, OT

Columbia went from dead last in rushing yardage to fourth. They also allowed the third-fewest sacks for the season. Much of that was thanks to DeBernardo and Brune.


Second Team

Drew Quinn, LB

Fourth in the Ivies in total tackles. Led a defense that went from dead last in rush defense to third.


Austin Knowlin, Special Teams

All-around weapon had fewer catches this season, but he was explosive in limited duty as a punt and kick returner. Led the league in punt-return average, and had two 76-yard TD's.


Evan Sanford, C

Contributed to Columbia's new rushing success. Steady in a storm.


Owen Fraser, NT

Made an immediate impact as a freshman, plugging up the Lions' pourous middle. Can also be considered for Rookie of the Year.




Honorable Mention

M.A. Olawale

Proved to be the best running QB in the Ivies, and maybe the best runner overall. He had longest run from scrimmage in the league this year with his 70-yarder for a TD versus Brown.


Adam Mehrer, S

Finished tied for second in the league with four interceptions. Improved with more playing time as a sophomore.


Calvin Otis, CB

Sophomore starter shut down sideline patterns and delivered several lethal hits.


Jon Rocholl, K/P

Solid punter who also nailed the longest field goal in the Ivies this season, (a 47-yarder against the wind versus Cornell). Overall, went nine for 11 in FG kicks.

Hopefully Columbia will be celebrating like this in the near future.

Brown 41, Columbia 10

Why Brown Won

The Bears controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball all day. QB Michael Dougherty used his time well and surgically shredded the Columbia defense, especially on third down plays. The defense shut down every aspect of the Lion offense except for QB M.A. Olawale's running. Once he went down, Columbia's chances to win were dashed.

Why Columbia Lost

Columbia never pressured one of the best QBs in the league, and that spelled disaster on defense. On offense, the passing game never got on track.

Key Turning Points

- After getting a three-and-out on the game's opening possession, Columbia was snakebitten by a freak turnover on the ensuing Brown punt. The wind hung up the kick, and it landed on the back of an unsuspecting A.J. Maddox's leg. Brown recovered in Lion territory and scored a touchdown on the drive.

- With the score tied 7-7, Brown started a drive at their own four and got all the way to the Columbia 20 before turning it over on downs on a great fourth down stand by the Lions defense. But the Columbia offense went three-and-out, and Brown took the short field after a short punt and scored a quick TD to grab the momentum back for good.

In general, this was Columbia's worst performance of the year, especially on defense. It was truly a shame to end the season this way, but with roughly 300 days to go before the 2009 season, getting any real momentum to carry over into next season is hard to do in any case.

I don't have any information on the extent of Olawale's injury, and I wouldn't expect anyone to get anything solid in the way of a prognosis for a while. I don't think Columbia or anyone in college football is required to make those kinds of updates available in the offseason period.

Of course there is a lot to churn through as I try to get a handle on the season right now. There's no getting around the disappointing nature of a 2-8 year, but I do want to end this post with a positive note: We have rarely had this kind of talent or depth on a Columbia football team, and never in my lifetime have we had this kind of talent and depth at the same time.

You just can't dispute those facts, and certainly there are a lot of reasons to be more optimistic for next season.

I went to a little school called Cornell...have you HEARD of it?

Cornell is another one of those Ivy teams that's a little hard to figure out. The Big Red began the season 3-0, highlighted by a great defensive effort in a 17-14 home win over Yale.

But then the bottom fell out as Cornell lost four in a row, with only one of those games being close (the 31-26 loss to Princeton at home), before burying reeling Dartmouth at Schoelkopf last weekend.

For a 4-4 team, the Big Red's stats are right in line. They're giving up about as many rushing yards as they gain and passing for about the same number of yards as they give up.

The quarterback, Nathan Ford, is throwing for a lot of yards and TDs, but also lots of interceptions.

The leading running backs, Randy Barbour and Luke Siwula, have their moments, but both are averaging under four yards per carry.

The leading tackler, Tim Bax, is in the secondary...which is a bad sign (for Cornell, that is).

You could crunch the stats more for additional evidence of why the Big Red are a prototypical .500 team, but the Columbia-Cornell series over the last 20 years has really not been about stats. The two New York Ivies have played an overwhelming number of close and exciting games since 1989, no matter where they were sitting in the standings.

Last year was one of the very rare years when the game was not really that close. A touchdown return on the opening kickoff began a flurry of bad luck for the Lions that ended in a 34-14 loss.

You have to go back to 1990, when the Big Red drubbed the Lions in a rain-drenched game 41-0, to find the last home game when Columbia was routed by Cornell.

But since 1989, Cornell leads the tight series 10 wins to nine, with 10 of those games decided by a touchdown or less.

I expect this weekend's game to be tight again, and another test for the young but very talented Lions secondary.

Fuller Stands?

The Cornell-Columbia game is usually very well attended, thanks to regularly strong attendance from the Cornell alumni, who make the game a big event at their alumni club. That includes a short parade, rain or shine.

Speaking of Cornell alums, perhaps the most famous Cornell alum these days is the fictional "Andy Bernard" character from NBC's The Office.

The character actually mentioned Nathan Ford's name during a funny moment in a recent episode of the show that got me laughing and gasping at the same time.

For some reason, the Andy Bernard character is a total idiot, which I fear may be the result of Harvard alum and Office writer/actor B.J. Novak's (no relation) typical Harvard snobbery. My suspicions of Harvard elitism dripping into Bernard's antics take some of the fun out of it for me, even though I'm not a Cornell alum of course.

I have to say that Ivy-over-other-Ivy elitism and snobbery depresses me like nothing else. Whenever I see it, I am more inclined to believe that even if there were just two people left on Earth, they would eventually kill each other.

Okay, back to the game...

The forecast is for steady rain Saturday, and that could keep the numbers down...which is a shame, because this is also "Senior Day" for the 17 guys on the roster who stuck it out for four years.

For the last few years, the final home games have begun with each senior getting individually introduced and met on the field by his family. It's a great tradition that I hope continues.

A tradition that I hope also continues is Columbia's one-game home winning streak, not only this season, but also against the Big Red, who fell to the Lions 21-14 the last time they came to Wien Stadium.

I hope to see you there too.

Matt Luft was marching tall.


Harvard 42, Columbia 28

Why Harvard Won

QB Chris Pizzotti had an even better day than usual, throwing for almost 300 yards in the first half alone. Despite pretty good coverage from the Columbia secondary, his throws were so accurate and well-timed that it didn't matter. Of course, it helped to have a 6'6" WR like Matt Luft to throw to as well.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Crimson weren't dominant, but they grabbed some key interceptions and executed a good pass rush at the end of the game to seal the deal.

Why Columbia Lost

More mistakes at crucial times, but this time it was not a variety of mistakes, just the same thing over and over: interceptions. Rough throws from both QBs not only snuffed out Lion drives, but they also set up a Harvard offense that was already in high gear.

Key Turning Points

1) With Columbia leading 7-6, Harvard's first play from scrimmage after the Columbia TD resulted in a 76-yard TD pass from Pizzotti to Chris Lorditch, and with the two-point conversion the Crimson were back up 14-7. The pass came after what looked like some kind of hard contact on Lion corner Calvin Otis, leaving Lorditch wide open in the middle of the field.

2) With the score still 14-7, the Lions began a promising drive at the Harvard 48 and got a 2nd-and-1 at the Crimson 21 before three straight running plays all yielded no gain. A quick Harvard TD drive and another score after a Shane Kelly interception, and it was 28-7 at the half.

3) After Austin Knowlin broke off a 76-yard punt return for a TD, making it 28-14, Harvard grabbed the momentum right back with a 61-yard TD drive, helped by a pass interference call on Kalasi Huggins on a 3rd-and-7. That made it 35-14, and Harvard didn't really have to worry after that.

For a team going up against a Harvard team that's peaking right now, the Lions still had a number of positives.

- Lou Miller had two more sacks and four-and-a-half tackles for a loss overall. This comes after his late game ejection versus Yale the previous week, proving he can still play with abandon—just not completely reckless abandon.

- Zack Kourouma had something of a breakout game. He grabbed the first QB TD on a well-timed pattern into the end zone for his second score of the year. Later in the game he broke off a nice run on a sweep for 27 yards and wouldn't go down after a reception that helped Columbia convert a 3rd-and-20.

- After three years of returning punts off and on, it was nice to see Austin Knowlin finally break one for a score. Knowlin simply took it to the corner and beat the Crimson down the sideline with his speed.

- Overall, Columbia recorded five sacks. True, Harvard threw the ball so many times that there were ample chances to get sacks, but the Crimson have been doing that for most of the year and had only allowed 12 sacks over seven weeks coming in to this game. Many of the sacks were the result of good coverage downfield, making them a team effort.

- It was nice to see the strong effort and good results from the special teams. Not only were they error free, but they also helped create two TDs with Knowlin's return and the recovery of the bad Harvard punt snap at the Crimson 4.

If we look at Ivy League football just this season, we can see a Brown team that has resurrected itself to claim first place and, if the chips fall where they should, an Ivy League championship.

This is no overnight feat.  This took a steady growth period—since 2002, their last losing season—to get the Brown program back to where it is currently the best in its conference.

In '08, impressive wins over archrivals Harvard and Penn put them on track to add to their trophy case.  If the Bears can get by Yale on Nov. 8, they stand an excellent shot at putting it into cruise control with games against winless Dartmouth and Columbia to wrap up the season.

What I like about the Ivies is everyone has a chance.  Some teams, like Columbia, just don't properly position themselves for success. 

Cornell, despite far too many lackluster seasons, is showing some signs of life under head coach Jim Knowles.  It really looks like the current coaching staff is pulling it together. This is a perfect example of the direction Columbia needs to take.

Look at Cornell's record just this year (3-4). It's not impressive if we just look at Ws and Ls, but Cornell has been in every game they have played—except against Brown.  They are playing well and not caving in.  They are showing stability.

Dartmouth has had some excellent seasons in the long history of their program.  They have won a good share of Ivy championships and had some terrific players and coaches along the way.  Unfortunately for them, the 2008 season is a catastrophe.  They could go winless.

If they play the role of spoiler in their remaining games, it would not be surprising though.  That's just how Ivy play is.  In fact, I bet the Big Green do have something left in the tank.

Traditional power Harvard has faltered only once this season—against Brown.  They still have Penn and Yale to play though.

Last year it looked like Yale would go wire to wire.  Their brilliant season came to an unfulfilling climax in losing to archrival Harvard on their home field.  Yale is not short on toughness.  Key players QB Matt Polhemus and RB Mike McLeod took on the Yale hockey team in some fisticuffs. 

Yale has a strong football heritage.  The accomplishments of Carm Cozza still stand for something in New Haven, and current head coach Jack Siedlecki is doing justice to that heritage.

Dean Cain’s Princeton Tigers have looked ordinary this season.

Penn really only established itself as an Ivy League powerhouse beginning in the '80s.  How they did it is with very aggressive recruiting, due diligence, assigning the budget to get it done, and really bringing in a caliber of athlete that set a standard for years to come.

Now every student athlete that arrives at Penn has the winning mentality already in place.  This wasn't something out of thin air.  It was by design with the right coaching and the right personnel.

Most of the Ivies will always have a good team because they have a very deep recruiting pool to work with.

When the subject of futile football legacies comes up, the Columbia Lions are always prominently mentioned.

There are countless losing streaks to point to, many of them extending for several seasons. There are equally as many "almost" seasons, when a handful of wins resulted in a few raised eyebrows and wishful thinking, even from the jaded New York media.

Columbia is, after all, not just a New York school, it is situated within New York City, so it carries all the supposed mystique, along with stereotypes. Columbia is also Ivy League, meaning it has extremely high academic standards and a hefty price tag.

Ivy sports have no scholarships, which means you need deep pockets or some form of other scholarship, loan, what have you.

Recruiting football players to come to a rough urban area and go to school in an overwhelmingly difficult academic environment with a high cost of living is a really tall order. Nothing comes easy in NYC. We haven't even talked about getting to practice, battling NYC traffic. That will take the wind out of your enthusiasm, sitting in New York traffic every day.

The bottom line is that it takes a certain type of student-athlete to want to play at Columbia. Pulling together a whole team of those types of guys is a rare occurrence for the Lions program.

Enter Norries Wilson, the very first African-American head coach of an Ivy League football program, appointed to lead the Columbia Lions just a few short years ago.

Wilson took over for Bob Shoop, who seemed to have the right approach to building a successful program. It was not to be, though, as Shoop was dismissed after another all-too-familiar single-win season.

Prior to Shoop, it was Ray Tellier who made the most headway of any Columbia head coach. Tellier lasted well over a decade in the role. In fact, it was not uncommon for Tellier's team to have a winning record or come ever so close, if you can imagine that. 

In 1996, defensive end Marcellus Wiley destroyed the undersized opposition and led the team to an 8-2 record. This is the very peak of the program's success, unless you were around to enjoy the afterglow of Columbia's 21-20 win over Army in 1947. Or how about the 1934 Rose Bowl over Stanford? The 1961 Ivy League championship can always be fondly looked back on, as well.

Lots of good players have passed through Morganside Heights, but you would have to go back to the days of Sid Luckman to come up with a memorable name. Who can forget Luckman's epic 1938 season? Oh, that's right, there's also Lou Kusserow who made that 1947 win over Army a reality with a bruising, two-touchdown performance.

But all good things must come to an end when it comes to Columbia football. Tellier had the misfortune of having a one-win season during a time of turbulence within the program, and he was dismissed.

Wilson risks being fired after this season; despite posting an impressive 5-5 record in 2007, the team is floundering.

Here's the problem any Columbia football coach faces:

Convincing good players who are academically eligible, who have the ability to pay for an Ivy League education, is very difficult for Columbia. The competition is fierce and it is fairly cutthroat, despite the Ivy reputation of gentlemanly conduct.

Columbia is considered a football joke in this modern era by the competition. The student-athlete must want to be part of the total environment to be successful. In order to compete, the Lions have taken a very broad approach to recruiting. They are all over the map currently, anywhere the other Ivies don't look is their recruiting base. 

Other Ivy programs have very deep recruiting pools. Other Ivy programs have nicer facilities, easier access to the practices, a tradition of winning some of the time, more robust leadership. Columbia has none of that, and it shows.

So what is the solution? 

I have always maintained Columbia needs to beat the bushes in as local a recruiting radius as possible. Go for players that know about Columbia as a school instead of even trying to sell the football program. Those are the guys who can handle the environment. Guys have to want to be part of the school first and the football program second, not just taking a chance because they live in Ohio and want to go to school in the big apple.

Columbia teams have just a smattering of talent because every coach that comes in has a disjointed recruiting strategy. I don't agree with bringing in players from wherever. What is the point for so many of these guys to come from far away lands when what you want is a cohesive unit?

I'm not necessarily against recruits from far away places, but what brings unity is familiarity, a common purpose. Guys that grew up in nearby states and areas each can relate to tends to be a rallying point for friendships. When you are really a team that can play with pride and purpose, then you have a selling point for the program.

Wilson has already been called to the carpet for criticizing the Penn program for discrediting Columbia on the recruiting trail. This got him into hot water with the Columbia AD. Though he was not fired for the transgression, it is a lingering tarnish to his reign as coach. It is also a telling sign Wilson is frustrated with the realities of trying to get the types of players who can help the program be successful.

I'd like to see Wilson continue on as head coach. Look at it this way, the one- and two-win seasons are going to happen, anyway, so at least let the head coach keep plugging away and maybe reach some watermarks of progress. Tellier had one killer season along the way, so we at least know it's possible.

A couple of interesting tidbits from the just-released Ivy weekly football release and stats:

-Alex Gross was the sole Columbian on the Ivy honor roll this week. Does that answer my question about who was the Yale game MVP?

-Columbia is now giving up just 118 yards rushing per game. LESS THAN HALF the 237 yards rushing per game they allowed last year! Kudos to Coach Kelton and the entire defense for that amazing achievement.

-Gross and Drew Quinn remain at No. 1 and No. 2 in the Ivies for tackles, but now it's Gross who's No. 1 and Quinn who is No. 2 just one tackle behind. Dartmouth's Ian Wilson is lurking at just one tackle behind Quinn. This will be a great horserace to the finish for the No. 1 spot there.

-Lou Miller still leads the league with tackles for a loss with 11.

-Only one Ivy rusher, Princeton's Jordan Culbreath, is even close to being on track for a 1,000-yard rushing season. Finding quality runners in the Ivies has become harder and harder.

I know most Ivy coaches say recruiting tp defensive linemen is the toughest thing to do nowadays in this league, but I can't remember when the Ivies were devoid of even two rushers with a shot at the 1,000 mark by year's end. Columbia saw Culbreath in week three and held him under 70 yards on the ground.

-Brown certainly seems to be sitting pretty with an undefeated 4-0 league record and only Yale, Dartmouth, and Columbia left to play. And two of those games will be at home for the Bears, (Yale and Columbia).

I kind of like the idea of the Lions going up to Brown on the last week of the season with a shot to ruin the Bears perfect season hopes. It would add to the drama, add to the crowd totals, and really put Columbia in a national spotlight win or lose. After last year's near-win against Brown, an our overall defensive strength, I'm not so sure we couldn't pull it off!