The Columbia Lions will travel to New Haven this week for a 1 PM game against our Bulldogs. You can catch the game on the Ivy League Network or SNY TV.
Al Bagnoli has turned Columbia around in just two years and the Lions are vying for their first Ivy League title since 1961. This is a must win game for Yale as a loss will make it difficult (although not impossible) to win the Ivy League Championship.
This Columbia squad is not composed of world beaters and top recruits as elated Columbia fans will try to tell you. They have a great coaching staff, a solid quarterback, fast wideouts and a stingy defense, yet they do have chinks in the armor. Senior QB Anders Hill and Sophomore WR Josh Wainwright are the top playmakers for the Lions. Hill has completed 66% of his passes and averages roughly 277 passing yards per game. Wainwright has 46 receptions for 637 yards and fellow WR Ronald Smith has 418 yards on the season, but did not play last week. Dartmouth was not able to register a single sack on Hill. That will change with the pressure the Elis will bring. Columbia has not been particularly effective at running the ball with a net of only 738 rushing yards on the season.
Senior Defensive Back Ryan Gilbert leads the Columbia defense with 52 total tackles and his fellow classmate and DB Landon Baty has racked up 48 tackles. That is a total of 100 tackles between two defensive backs with only 1 interception combined. The defensive backs are clearly coming up for run support and hoping that their corners can lockdown their opponent’s top wide receiver. They haven’t faced a well rounded receiving corps such as Yale’s that also features a deadly rushing attack. Columbia has only accumulated 6 sacks on the season or 1 per game, so Rawlings should have ample time to read the defense and deliver a strike.
Keys to the game:
- Hit Anders Hill
- Key on Wainwright
- Get the ground game going to open the passing game
- Secure the football
- Cut down on penalties
- Execute on special teams
9 replies on “Columbia Preview”
Yales D line is impressive as is the LB corps. The secondary has improved but the long ball has been a problem. Cut out the dumb penalties while staying aggressive. Rawlings has been great and the O Line deserves credit for protecting our qb.
I’ve not seen the intensity this team is displaying in all facets of the game for some time and I’ve benn following since the mid 60’s.
I do believe this team has not only the depth but also that next man up attitude will bring a championship to New Haven this year and more to come
LETS GO BULLDOGS…Bring it home where it belongs?
Play a full 60 minutes of football from here on out. Points of the moderater an Yale will win each and every game…..!!!
Go Bulldogs…!!!!!!
Biggest game at the bowl since Yale – Army. We are ready !!! Let’s rock.
Does anyone know of any of the players coming back for a Red shirt year.?
I would think Nick Crowle would be. But can’t think of anyone else.?
Jon Bezney’s expected back.
This blog’s writeup of the Penn game says that Crowle played last week.
“Herubin, Matthaei, Crowle, Chism and Keeler all excelled as well. “
Others that I would think MIGHT be eligible for a medical redshirt:
OL Jack Lee
RB Alan Lamar
DB Marquise Peggs
WR Kyle Marcinick
Columbia is a team that must be blown out early, which nobody has been able to do so far. If they are allowed to stick around in the second half of a close game, they are especially dangerous. I am sure our coaches realize this and also that they are a constant threat with the long ball!
Rough day for Dudek(LOL). He was averaging 9 yards a carry and was only able to average 6.9 yards a play on 25 carries for a total of 173 yards. I believe he is now the leading rusher in the Ivy League. I posted earlier in the year that Dudek will lead the Ivy League in rushing and I think the only thing that could stop him is an injury.