The Bulldogs travel to the Big Apple this week for another Friday night contest at Columbia. Kickoff is slated for 7 PM ET and the game will air on ESPNU.
Columbia enters the contest with a 4-2 record (2-1 Ivy League) with close losses to Georgetown and Dartmouth. Dartmouth defeated Columbia by a score of 24-21 last week in New York but the Lions prevailed versus the Tigers and Quakers earlier in October.
Junior QB Cole Freeman (6’0”, 205 lbs.) will make his second start of the season after sophomore QB Chase Goodwin (6’2”, 215 lbs.) suffered a knee injury last week. Freeman has played in all six contests this season for the Lions and has completed 55.1% of his passes for 447 yards, 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Freeman is a dual threat transfer from Northwestern who leads the Lions with 2 rushing touchdowns. Senior RB Joey Giorgi (5’10”, 205 lbs.) has played very well this season averaging an astounding 6.1 yards per carry. Senior RB Malcolm Terry II (5’9”, 210 lbs.) is a former Navy transfer who gives Columbia a solid second option out of the backfield. Senior WR Bryson Canty (6’2”, 205 lbs.) was a 1st Team All-Ivy selection in 2022 and has dominated opponents with 28 catches for 387 yards and 6 touchdowns. Junior WR Edan Stagg (6’1”, 180 lbs.) is also heavily targeted with 24 catches for 277 yards and a touchdown. Our linebackers and safeties will need to keep an eye on sophomore TE Braden Dougherty (6’5”, 245 lbs.) who has scored twice on receptions. Columbia’s offensive line averages 308.0 lbs. across the board and has been very efficient in run blocking with the Lions averaging 4.8 yards per carry as a team. Pass blocking is one area of weakness for Columbia as the Lions have given up 13 sacks on the season. Dartmouth was able to slow Columbia’s rushing attack to just 2.4 yards per carry and force Columbia into obvious passing situations which allowed the Big Green to rack up 4 sacks. Yale will need another great performance out of the front seven to stymy Giorgi, Freeman and Terry in the rushing game while limiting the mental errors in the secondary against a deep unit of receivers.
Columbia’s defense is led by senior LB Anthony Roussos (5’11”, 225 lbs.) who was a 1st Team All-Ivy performer in 2023 and is second on the team in tackles with 43. Senior LB Rocco Milia (6’2”, 225 lbs.) leads the team with 44 tackles and has been equally impressive in pass coverage with 3 pass breakups. Columbia’s defensive line is a notch below Dartmouth’s defensive line in terms of talent but does a tremendous job of keeping blockers off of the linebackers. The defensive line is led by senior DL Patrick Passalacqua (6’2”, 295 lbs.) who has 22 tackles and a forced fumble on the season. Senior DL Justin Townsend (6’1”, 255 lbs.) notched 13.5 sacks a year ago but has not been seen in recent weeks due to an injury. The Lions’ secondary limited Dartmouth’s aerial assault to just 70 yards a week ago. Columbia’s defensive backfield features 3 returning starters from 2023 and has intercepted opposing quarterbacks on 7 occasions. Senior DB Hayden McDonald (5’9”, 180 lbs.) has had a stellar season thus far with 41 tackles and 3 interceptions. Senior DB Carter McFadden (5’11”, 180 lbs.) was an honorable mention All-Ivy selection last year and has 3 interceptions with 7 pass breakups. Senior DB Aaron Brebnor (6’1”, 195 lbs.) has seen action since his freshman season and has 22 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and an interception. Getting blockers on Columbia’s talented linebackers will be crucial in this contest to establish the running game. Jordan will need to shy away from heaving balls into tight coverage against the experienced defensive backs who have an aptitude for intercepting passes.
Sophomore K Hugo Merry (6’2”, 190 lbs.) has made 8 of 10 field goal attempts with a long of 43 yards. Senior P William Hughes (6’0”, 175 lbs.) was a unanimous 1st Team All-Ivy selection in 2023 and is averaging an impressive 41.3 yards per punt. McFadden is a dangerous punt returner who always seems to be one tackle away from breaking a punt return loose for a touchdown.
Go Bulldogs! Beat the Lions!
37 replies on “Columbia Preview”
An 11th game is more important IMO
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/11/1/ivy-league-considers-football-postseason/
Ivy League to Consider Allowing Football Teams to Play in Postseason
I’m all for both FCS playoff participation and an 11th game. It seems the students and coaches are more supportive on the former, so it makes sense to focus on that first. Hopefully, this time the proposal will get some traction. The argument that it would detract from the Yale-Harvard rivalry game is nonsense. It would only add to it, if anything. The academic argument is also nonsense as every other Ivy sport is allowed to participate in the post season. Unless the Ivy League feels the football players are not as smart as all the other Ivy athletes.
You would think an 11th game and playoff participation should go hand in hand. Scheduling another good OOC FCS team or even an FBS team could help the IVY League get more than one team into the playoffs. But baby steps first.
Well it would be about damn time. To put away this antiquated theory. Ivy League needs to evolve are it will implode.
Robin Harris , needs to escort this matter to a new level of attention to make this happen.
Punt coverage has been weak this year. Should have gone for it on 4th down. The O seems a little lethargic right now.
Agreed
Defense has regressed to the 4th quarter against Dartmouth
Being outplayed on both sides.
Not in love with the play calling. Why always a long pass on 3rd and medium? How about trying to get a first down
Not trending well. Halfway thru 2nd quarter, if not for Gonzales forcing the fumble, this would be on the verge of getting out of hand.
Time to wake up
Yale needs to start passing more. Three yards and a cloud of dust is not getting it done.
…but not “he the ball as far as possible and hope for the best” throwing.
*heave
Gutsy call by Reno going for it on 4th and 1.
We are lucky to be ahead. Columbia ball to start the 2nd half.
Cannot depend on a FG unless it is as short as an XP. Opportunity wasted.
Yale’s yards per play sucks.
Yale dominated the 3rd quarter and only added 3 points. These are the kind of games that can easily be lost.
Biggs needs to do a better job plugging the hole on that 3rd and 3 play.
This game reminds me of the 2018 game Yale let get away.
10-6. Time to take control. (I hope)
If Yale wins this it looks like it will need to be the defense that does it. Play calling for Yale is terrible
This 3rd and 7 is huge
Can’t stop them. I’m seeing a 95 yard TD drive.
3rd and long run up the middle for a first down and more – inexcusable.
Second choke of the year?
This year is now officially a disaster
Team 151 – “they are who we thought they were.”
Well, this game was very disappointing. Terrible game plan. Relied stubbornly on the run and refused to adjust when it wasn’t working. Defense simply can’t tackle. They can’t get a pass rush either without a blitz so offenses know it’s coming and are repeatedly burning them on it.
Can always count on the defense to fold when a tight game is on the line. But this one is on the offense.
Half-agree. This loss is on the offense… But it’s also on the defense. Giving up a 96 yard winning TD drive in the 4th quarter warrants a whole lot of blame.
Is this season an aberration or is it the new direction of Yale football? Some hard questions need to be addressed in the off season about this coaching staff.
And I don’t mean Reno.
Let’s see how the team responds over the last three games.
Today’s game was almost a carbon copy of 2018. In that game Yale led 10-3 then gave up two second half TD’s to lose 17-10 as the offense collapsed. Like today’s game you could see it coming.
I’m particularly concerned about how the LB Corp was allowed to atrophy to this degree. It has historically been the strength of Yale defenses going back to Cozza through the Reno era. Looks like somebody fell asleep at the switch in LB recruiting.
Gentlemen; this is the worst linebacking group since pre-World War II.