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NEW YORK – Columbia returns home to Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium, where the Lions are 3-1 this year, to meet Dartmouth in the annual Homecoming game on Saturday, October 23 at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon's forecast for New York City is mostly sunny, with a high of 66 degrees.
The Lions lost for the first time in four games last Saturday at Penn, when the defending Ivy League champs came away with a 27-13 victory, as the Lions' record dropped to 3-2 and 1-1 in the Ivy League.
In the game at Penn, Andrew Kennedy racked up his second 100-yard receiving game of the season, making six catches for 107 yards. Kennedy also hauled in his fourth touchdown pass of the season from Sean Brackett, a 57-yard strike in the third quarter. Brackett has thrown 11 touchdown passes this season with only one interception.
On the other side, Dartmouth has the same 3-2 record as Columbia does but holds an 0-2 mark in league play. The Big Green are returning from a 27-19 victory over Holy Cross at home last Saturday, when running back Nick Schwieger rushed for 169 yards and a score on 31 carries. Dartmouth currently leads the league in scoring at 27.8 points per game.
THE SERIES WITH DARTMOUTH
Saturday's game will mark the 81st meeting between Columbia and Dartmouth with the Big Green having won last year's meeting between the two teams in New Hampshire. Columbia captured the last meeting in New York, defeating Dartmouth 21-13 in a torrential downpour in 2008.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Every Columbia game can be heard on gocolumbialions.com with Jerry Recco (play-by-play) and Sal Licata (commentary) calling the action. Student radio can be found on WKCR 89.9 FM with Tommy Di Benedetto providing play-by-play.
KENNEDY HONORS
Senior tight end Andrew Kennedy caught six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown against Penn, marking the third straight game in which he has caught a touchdown pass. It was also the second 100-yard game of the season for Kennedy, who leads Columbia with 20 receptions, 329 yards and four touchdowns in the first five games.
WINNERS BRACKETT
Sophomore quarterback Sean Brackett continues to lead the Ivy League in pass efficiency by a wide margin at 172.5. Brackett has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,019 yards, which ranks third among Ivy League quarterbacks. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns with just one interception, while rushing for 281 yards on the ground this season. Brackett currently ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision in pass efficiency, just behind DeAndre Presley of top-ranked Appalachian State.
EDDY MONEY
Luke Eddy is the Ivy League's Rookie of the Week after a strong kicking performance in last Saturday's game at Penn. Eddy made both of his field goals on a blustery day, including a 48-yarder late in the third quarter, the longest by a Columbia kicker since Jon Rocholl nailed a 49-yard attempt in the Lions' season opener at Fordham in 2007. The Lions' longest standard field goal in history was made by Matt Pollard, a 50-yarder against Lehigh in 1988. The previous long was a 53-yard drop kick by Ralph Hewitt in 1930.
COMING HOME A WINNER
Columbia has a winning record heading into its Homecoming game for the first time since 2006, when the Lions were 2-0, and faced a Princeton team that was 2-0 and would ultimately win a share of the Ivy League title that season.
THIRD TIME IS A CHARM
The third Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame class will be inducted during Homecoming weekend on Friday, October 22. Former Lion standouts Walter Koppisch '25 and Rory Wilfork '97 will be enshrined along with legendary head coach Buff Donelli and Columbia's 1961 Ivy League championship squad.
RUSH, RUSH
In each of its three victories, Columbia has piled up more than 200 yards rushing. For the season, the Lions have totaled 867 yards on the ground.
TURNOVER A NEW LEAF
Columbia's defense has been one of the most opportunistic in the Ivy League so far this season, while its offense has taken good care of the ball. As a result, Columbia is first in the league with a plus-five turnover margin. Columbia has forced its opponents into nine turnovers (six fumbles, three interceptions), while only giving away the ball four times in five games. Meanwhile, Dartmouth ranks second in the league in turnover margin and first in turnovers caused with 11 (three forced fumbles, eight interceptions).
KRAFTING A NEW LEGACY
At Kraft Field at Wien Stadium this year, Columbia is 3-1 in its first four home games. With a win against Dartmouth, Columbia can clinch a winning record at home for the first time since the 2000 season. The Lions went 3-2 at home that season, including a 49-21 victory over Dartmouth on Homecoming Day.
GROSS: OHIO PRODUCT
Senior linebacker Alex Gross continues to lead the Ivy League in tackles with 59 stops through five games. This season, the do-it-all defender also has returned an interception for a touchdown, has a tackle for a loss, a pass breakup and forced a fumble.
MADAM, I'M ADAM
Senior free safety Adam Mehrer, a second team All-Ivy defensive back in 2009, has had another strong season. He ranks second on the squad with 37 tackles and last week at Penn, Mehrer made nine stops and forced a Quaker fumble.
SOPHOMORES BOOKENDING DEFENSIVE LINE
Sophomores Josh Martin and Ryan Murphy have made an impact on the defensive line in their first year as starters. Martin ranks second in the Ivy League with 3 1/2 sacks at one defensive end spot, while Murphy is tied for 12th in the league with a pair of sacks from the opposite defensive end spot.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
In five games this season, 11 Columbia players have scored a touchdown. Alex Gross's interception return for a score was the first for the defense, while Leon Ivery, Nick Gerst and Sean Brackett have all scored rushing touchdowns. Of Brackett's 11 touchdown passes, seven different receivers have been on the other end – Andrew Kennedy, Zack Kourouma, Kurt Williams, Nico Gutierrez, Mike Stephens, Brian DeVeau and Clif Pope.
SPREADING THE WEALTH, PART II
Columbia has three players who have amassed more than 200 yards rushing this season - Sean Brackett, Nick Gerst and Leon Ivery. The Lions also have three players who have more than 100 yards receiving this season - Andrew Kennedy, Nico Gutierrez and Kurt Williams.
P.S. - POPECK, SCHUSTER HAVE A NOSE FOR THE BALL
Juniors Ben Popeck and Neil Schuster have both made an impact on defense for the Lions this season. From the defensive tackle position, Popeck has three tackles for a loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and two recovered fumbles. Schuster also has recovered a pair of fumbles, is third on the team in tackles and has a pair of pass breakups to his credit.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Columbia's Craig Hamilton leads the Ivy League in average yards per kick return with 29.4 yards per return. Continuing the trend of strong special teams play, Nico Gutierrez has handled punt returns well since he took over those duties prior to the Towson game. Gutierrez has returned eight punts at 9.9 yards per return.
20-20 VISION
The last five times that Columbia has scored 20 points or more, the Lions are 5-0, dating back to last season's 30-20 win at Cornell in the penultimate game of the 2009 season.
TRANSIT UPDATE
Regular MTA 1 train uptown and downtown service is in effect for Columbia's Homecoming game vs. Dartmouth on Saturday, October 23. The 1 train to 215th Street is the best way to come to Columbia's game on Oct. 23. Other public transportation options include taking the A train to 207th Street or the Metro North train to Marble Hill at 225th Street, but the 1 train will be running full service uptown and downtown on Saturday, October 23. Interrupted 1 train service will resume at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, October 24.
