ITHACA, N.Y. - Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football Norries Wilson has said all season that his team needed to play an entire 60 minutes of football. In their final road game of 2009, the Lions did just that.
With entire units stepping up when needed, Columbia defeated Cornell 30-20 in Ithaca behind four second-half interceptions by its defense and a pair of rushing touchdowns by senior quarterback M.A. Olawale.
Olawale entered the game with 8:53 left in the third quarter and the Lions trailing 20-16. He promptly picked up four first downs with a rush and three complete passes, including two to Mike Stephens. On first and 10 from the Cornell 28, Olawale completed a pass to Nico Gutierrez, who was hit immediately by Brand Lainhart to force a fumble that Cornell recovered.
Cornell could only go 15 yards before Ben Ganter's was intercepted by Andy Shalbrack at the Columbia 42, for the second interception of the half. Shalbrack returned it 37 yards to the Cornell 21. Olawale and Zack Kourouma rushed for 15 yards and on first and goal, Olawale kept for a one-yard touchdown run. Dean Perfetti, who made his first collegiate field goal in the first half, made the point after to give the Lions a 23-20 lead.
Both teams opened the fourth quarter with short drives, but Columbia looked as though it was going to put some distance between itself and the Big Red on an eight-play drive that spanned 77 yards, but Olawale was picked off in the end zone by Chris Costello and Cornell took over at the 20 with 8:07 remaining.
Cornell picked up a first down immediately on a 11-yard pass from Stephen Liuzza to Shane Savage, but two plays later, Liuzza was picked off by Ross Morand, his second of the game, at the 50 yard line.
After a short series by Columbia, Cornell took over from its own 12. The Big Red got two rushing first downs from Ganter but in what would be the play of the game, Augie Williams intercepted Ganter at the Cornell 45 and ran it back to the 19.
On the next drive, Olawale kept on third and 10 and rushed for the 19-yard touchdown. Perfetti's PAT put the Lions up 30-20 for the final margin.
Olawale went 9-of-11 for 68 yards and rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Brackett, the Lions' starter, went 8-of-13 for 59 yards and 35 rushing.
Stephens and Taylor Joseph had 46 yards and 43 yards respectively on three catches each. Defensively the Lions had six interceptions, including two by Ross Morand. Williams had a breakout day, with six solo tackles, four assisted for 10 total with an interception and a red zone pass breakup. Lou Miller became the Lions' all-time sack leader with a sack for a four-yard loss and two tackles for a loss.
Brackett made his second collegiate start for the Lions and helped Columbia jump out to a 13-0 lead before most of the Schoellkopf Field crowd could find their seats, including an 80-yard touchdown run by Zack Kourouma to put the Lions on the board first.
Cornell answered with two quick touchdowns of its own, and after both teams missed an extra point, the score was tied at 13-13.
Perfetti booted a 33-yard field goal to give Columbia a 16-13 lead after the first quarter, but Cornell responded with a touchdown midway through the second to make it 20-16 at halftime.
The Lions (3-6, 2-4 Ivy League) host Brown next Saturday, November 21, at 12:30 p.m. for the season finale.
