NEW YORK—Using a two-quarterback system, Princeton totaled 437 offensive yards and scored 48 unanswered points in registering a 48-13 victory over Columbia in the Ivy League opener for both teams Saturday at Robert K. Kraft Field. Princeton quarterbacks Chad Kanoff and John Lovett combined for 337 total offensive yards, threw for four touchdowns, completed 26 of 33 passes and played a role in all seven Tigers touchdowns.
The 35-point loss was uncharacteristic of Columbia Football under Al Bagnoli as the Lions have played mostly competitive games since he took over in 2015. Eight of Columbia's last 11 losses have come by 10 points or less.
“We've got to learn from it,” Patricia & Shepard Alexander Head Coach Al Bagnoli said. “It's humiliating and it hasn't happened in a long time. We've been in very competitive games and we expected to play another really competitive game today. We've got to figure out why. We've got to provide better answers, our coaches have to provide better answers and our players have got to have better resolve and determination. If you don't learn from it, there's nothing we can benefit from. We didn't play very well, that's obvious, we didn't coach very well and we didn't execute very well. This is one of those games that we have to take inventory of. Give those other guys credit for doing a nice job and playing well with determination and physicality. We've got to move on.”
Princeton (2-1, 0-1 Ivy League) took control in the second quarter with touchdowns on four consecutive possessions to take a 34-6 halftime lead. The Tigers went up 13-6 on a 26-yard touchdown reception by Trevor Osborne from quarterback Chad Kanoff. On its next possession, Princeton's John Lovett scored on a two-yard run to take a 20-7 lead with 5:36 left in the second quarter following a nine play, 70-yard drive. On Columbia's next possession, Princeton's Brannon Jones forced and recovered a fumble at Columbia's five yard line. On the next play, Princeton scored on a five-yard touchdown pass when Lovett scrambled to the sideline and found Joe Rhattigan in the end zone. The Tigers led 27-6 with 5:18 left in the first half. Princeton made it 34-6 on a five-yard scoring run by Lovett with 18 seconds to go before the half.
Columbia's defense entered the game ranked No. 11 nationally in total defense, No. 5 in scoring defense, No. 3 in passing yards allowed and No. 1 in first downs defense.
Columbia (0-3, 0-1 Ivy League) grabbed the lead when quarterback Anders Hill scored his second touchdown of the year on a four-yard run in the first quarter. The score gave the Lions a 6-0 lead after a pass failed for the two-point conversion. Setup by a 27-yard interception return by Brock Kenyon, the score capped an eight play, 55-yard scoring drive that took 3:00. Hill connected with Cameron Dunn for a 34-yard reception, Columbia's longest pass play of the season up that point.
Princeton tied the game at 6-6 on a 13-yard touchdown touchdown pass from Kanoff to Rhattigan. The touchdown followed an 11-play, 80 yard, 3:28 drive which featured a 31-yard pass play from Kanoff to John Lovett on a triple reverse.
Princeton added two touchdowns in the second half as Kanoff found tight end Scott Carpenter for a nine-yard touchdown pass and Lovett rambled in for a two-yard touchdown.
Columbia freshman Josh Wainwright caught his first career touchdown pass in the fourth quarter when Hill found him open down the middle of the field and he raced into the end zone for an 88-yard touchdown. It marked the longest play from scrimmage in the last 10 years of Columbia football.
Kanoff completed 21 of 25 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, while Lovett rushed for three touchdowns on eight carries and 50 yards and completed five of eight passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
For Columbia, Hill threw for 215 yards on 13 completions, Wainwright caught three passes for 97 yards and four Lions finished with double figures in tackles: Gianmarco Rea (12), Brock Kenyon (12 tackles and an interception), Christian Conway (11 tackles, one sack) and London Baty (10).
Columbia is back in action when it travels to Staten Island to play Wagner in a non-conference game on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET.
POST GAME NOTES
· Columbia was represented at the coin toss by its three 2016 captains: seniors Scooter Hollis (WR), Skyler Mornhinweg (QB) and Christian Conway (LB).
· Today's weather at kickoff at Robert K. Kraft Field was 61 degrees and cloudy.
· Columbia and Princeton met for the 85th time in series history. With the loss Columbia drops to 15-69-1 all-time vs. Princeton. Princeton won its sixth straight game against Columbia and third straight played at Robert K. Kraft Field.
· Columbia unveiled new blue Nike uniforms, blue jerseys with blue pants.
· The two teams played with the new Ivy League rules. Kickoffs were taken from the 40-yard line and touchbacks to the 20-yard line.
· Junior Anders Hill made his first career start at quarterback. He finished with a career-high 215 passing yards and threw a career-long 88-yard pass to Josh Wainwright in the fourth quarter.
· Senior safety Brock Kenyon registered Columbia's first turnover of the year. He intercepted a pass and returned it 27 yards to stall Princeton's opening drive in the first quarter. It was his first career interception.
· Columbia took a lead for the first time this season in the first quarter when Anders Hill rambled four yards for the touchdown.
· Senior Alan Watson caught the longest pass of his career when Anders Hill found him on a 31-yard pass play in the first quarter.
· Brandon Krcilek caught his first pass of the year, a three-yard reception in the first quarter.
· Freshman wide receiver Josh Wainwright registered his first career touchdown reception on an 88-yard pass from Anders Hill in the fourth quarter.
· Senior Gianmarco Rea led the Lions in tackles for the second straight week with 12.
· Princeton's 48 points were the most Columbia has yielded to an opponent since Monmouth scored 61 points vs. the Lions on Oct. 11, 2014. It is the most points yielded to an opponent since Al Bagnoli became head coach at Columbia.
· Today's game marked only the third time Columbia lost by more than 10 points since Al Bagnoli became head coach. Only three of Columbia's last 11 losses have been decided by 10 points or more.
