EASTON, PA. ? Columbia discovered why Lafayette's defense is ranked first in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in a 29-0 defeat on a balmy, 80-degree evening at Fisher Stadium.
Columbia was held to 180 yards of total offense against the Leopards, who entered the game with a stingy 11.0 points per game allowed. The Lions managed just 38 yards in the second half, as Lafayette scored on three straight possessions from the mid-third quarter into the early fourth.
“Our offensive line put us in a bad position, and that's my fault,” said Norries Wilson, The Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football. “We may have to make some changes there.”
Lafayette built a 10-0 halftime lead, highlighted by a four-yard touchdown run by Matt Ferber, the first of his career, with 3:18 left in the half. The score capped a 55-yard drive, which was slowed by a big hit by JoJo Smith near the Lafayette sideline on a flea flicker that fell incomplete at the Columbia 20.
On the Leopards' first scoring drive, which started late in the first quarter and went into early in the second, the Lions escaped with minimal damage. Lafayette had a first down at the Columbia 11, but managed just a 23-yard field goal after Andy Shalbrack broke up a pass in the end zone on third down from the six. It was Shalbrack's second week in a row with a pass defensed to prevent a touchdown.
Columbia's biggest scoring threat of the first half came on the second-to-last play of the half, as a 43-yard field goal attempt by Jon Rocholl was partially blocked and fell short following two consecutive Lafayette timeouts. Taylor Joseph had been a key to the drive, which started at the Lion 27 with 1:13 left in the second quarter. Joseph caught a six-yard pass on 3rd and 2 on an out pattern to the Lion 41. Two plays later, Hormann found Joseph over the middle for a 17-yard pickup to the Lafayette 42.
Early in the second half, the tide briefly turned in the Lions' favor. On three consecutive Columbia defensive plays, Justin Masorti had a tackle for a one-yard loss, Phil Mitchell had a 10-yard sack and, on 3rd and 21, first-year linebacker Matt Moretto made his first career interception.
On the ensuing drive that started at the Leopards' 40. On 3rd and 10, Hormann connected with Knowlin, who cut a corner down the right sideline for a gain of 33. Columbia pushed as far as the Lafayette three-yard line on a five-yard completion to Knowlin. On 3rd on goal, however, Hormann's short toss intended for Knowlin at the goal line was picked off by Adrian Lawson, who returned the interception 40 yards before being hauled down by Jordan Davis. The score remained 10-0.
“If we score a touchdown there,” Hormann said, “it is a completely different game.”
Lafayette drove to the Lion 22, but Mike DiPaola tossed a pass in the endzone intercepted by Calvin Otis, for the second interception by a Lion first-year in a four-minute stretch. Columbia's drive would last two plays, however, as Hormann was sacked on a blitz, fumbled, and gave Lafayette possession at the Columbia 15.
That play seemed to cause things to unravel for the Lions. Lafayette needed three plays to find its way over Columbia's goal line, as a Brandon Mitchell two-yard run made the score 17-0.
The Leopards' next two drives needed 1:38 and 1:33 to produce TDs. DiPaola hit Joe Russo for a four-yard touchdown pass on the first, and DeAndre Morrow had a 14-yard rush on the next, and the score was 29-0 ? Davis Rodriguez missed both extra points ? with 13:41 left on the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the Lafayette defense became mighty with sacks on three consecutive Lion drives, resulting in three-and-outs in each case.
“Penn's defense is better than the one we just played,” Wilson noted, “so we're going to have to get our minds right.”
The Lions (1-3, 0-1 Ivy League) host the Quakers (1-3, 0-1 Ivy League) for Homecoming 2007 on Saturday, October 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Moretto finished with a team-high nine tackles, and co-captain Drew Quinn had eight.
Offensively, the Lions managed just -13 yards rushing for the game, primarily the result of five sacks that accounted for a loss of 44 yards. Knowlin had eight catches for 99 yards to finish a yard shy of his third 100-or-more-yard game of the season.
The Lions remain winless all-time in Easton, Pa.
