October 2 | 7 p.m. | Princeton Stadium | NBC Sports Network
Columbia
Princeton
NEW YORK - The Ivy League opener for Princeton and Columbia will come under the lights on Friday, Oct. 2. The game will be aired live on NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m., and online at NBC Sports Extra.
SERIES HISTORY
The Tigers come into the contest winners of the last four meetings in the series, as the Lions look to cut into Princeton's 67-15-1 all-time advantage in the series.
LAST TIME OUT
Georgetown scored two touchdowns in the final 30 seconds of the first half to surge past the Columbia football team, 24-16, and claim the Lou Little Trophy, spoiling the Lions' home opener. Scooter Hollis set a career high in receptions and yards with 10 catches for 131 yards, and Cameron Molina rushed for two touchdowns in the outing.
PRINCETON'S STATUS
Princeton comes into the game with two blowout wins against two Patriot League opponents in 2015. Week one featured a 40-7 victory at Lafayette, followed by a week two win at home against Lehigh, 52-26.
ON YOUR HONOR
Scooter Hollis is the latest Lion to be named to the Ivy League Honor Roll. In the loss to Georgetown, Hollis hauled in 10 catches for 131 yards, which were both career highs. The Bowling Green, Kentucky, native was the first Columbia receiver to record 100+ yards through the air since Ryan Flannery did so in 2013 against Fordham. Hollis joins Matthew Cahal, Alan Watson and Skyler Mornhinweg, who represented Columbia on the week one Honor Roll.
IVY LEAGUE OPENERS
The Lions hold a 13-43-1 mark in Ivy League debuts dating back to 1957. Columbia's last win to kick off Ancient Eight play came in a 42-14 home win over Princeton in 2010.
BEST OF THE FCS
After two weeks of play, Columbia is the top team in the country when it comes to punting the football. The Lions average 45.1 net yards per punt, making them the best in the FCS in the category. Scooter Hollis is second in the country with 9.0 receptions per game, while Skyler Mornhinweg ranks fifth with a completion percentage of 69.8.
NEW ERA
The 2015 season marks the first for Al Bagnoli as the Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football. Bagnoli comes to Columbia after 23 years at Penn. The winningest football coach in the FCS, Bagnoli comes into 2015 with a 232-91 record, while his Quaker teams claimed nine Ivy League titles.
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE
The current staff of Columbia coaches have combined to win 43 conference championships, including 22 from the Ivy League.
THE CAPTAINS
Running back Cameron Molina, tight end Nick Durham and defensive lineman Chad Washington were voted as the 2015 team captains. “I think the kids did a good job of taking the captaincy seriously,” said Bagnoli. “In the end, they chose three kids that exemplify what we are looking for - great effort guys that lead by example. Overall, we are very happy with the selections and all three will be a tremendous asset to the coaching staff.”
PRESEASON HONORS
Three members of the football team found a place on the American Football Networks preseason All-American team this past summer. Seniors Niko Padilla, Cameron Molina and Toba Akinleye all earned the honor after impressive junior campaigns. The trio along with Billy Lawrence and JD Hurt went on to earn preseason All-Ivy League honors by College Sports Madness.
FRIDAY'S ON THE LAWN
The Lions held their first practice of the season on campus this past Friday. Throughout the season, Columbia will continue to keep its Friday walkthrough on the South Lawn.
SEE HIM ON TV, ANY GIVEN SATURDAY
When the Ivy League announced its most expansive national television coverage in conference history, Columbia came through as the beneficiary. The Lions will be featured on television three times this fall, first at Princeton on Friday, Oct. 3 on NBC Sports Network. On Saturday, October 31, Columbia and Yale will kickoff on FOX College Sports at 12:30, p.m. while the Friday, Nov. 20 contest with Brown will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.
WNYC'S “THE SEASON”
The Season is a weekly podcast presented by Ilya Marritz and Matt Collette of WNYC, where the pair will follow Columbia's football team over the entire 10-game season. Archived podcasts can be found at www.wnyc.org and on iTunes, with new episodes being released every Thursday.
WHAT ARE YOU, NEW?
A total of 25 athletes joined the Columbia football team this fall. Along with 22 first-year players, three transfers made up the incoming class.
HE AIN'T HEAVY
Aside from the Florida transfer Mornhinweg, two more transfers will be featured for the Lions in 2015 when Jackson and Christian Conway suit up. The twins are currently juniors, as Christian will line up in the defensive backfield, while Jackson will be featured at fullback. Senior Max Keefe played alongside his brother John Keefe '15CC a season ago, as did sophomore Turner DeMuth, brother of Garrett DeMuth '15CC and junior Keith Brady, brother of John Brady '15CC.
#TEAM125
This year marks the 145th anniversary of Columbia's first intercollegiate football game against Princeton in 1870. It is the 125th competitive season of Columbia Football.
