Spring Blog: Offensive Preview, Week 3 Begins
4/4/2017 7:01:00 PM | Football
NEW YORK—Week three of Columbia Football spring drills began on Tuesday with a two-hour Lion practice outdoors at Robert K. Kraft Field. Temperature was 46 degrees with on and off rain. It was the seventh full practice of the spring.
The Lions started practice off with offensive/defensive formations, skills stations, position groups, Offensive Run Game vs. Defensive Run Game and Offensive Pass Game vs. Defensive Pass Game. The Lions followed with special teams plays including field goals and punt coverage. Columbia then played through an offense vs. defense drill. The Lions also went through two live scrimmages- offense vs. defense.
The first scrimmage's highlights included a long run by sophomore quarterback Ryan Suitt, who scampered through the line for a 25-yard run. Suitt then hit sophomore Tre Gabriel for a 10-yard pass. Freshman quarterback Matt Dame connected with freshman Tanner Thomas on a screen pass and junior quarterback Anders Hill threw to freshman Ronald Smith for a pretty 25-yard out pattern. Defensively, junior Parker Tobia made a nice hit and freshman safety Hunter Lunsford broke up a pass.
In the second mini-scrimmage, Hill hit Smith on a screen, which he cut and then ran all the way back to the other side of the field for 10 yards before he got tackled. Junior defensive back Dylan Weldon broke up a pass thrown down the middle of the field. Freshman running back Van Neils ran for eight yards on a draw play. Dame then hit sophomore Kyle Castner on a sharp eight-yard screen pass and the defense, led by junior All-Ivy League selection Cameron Roane, stopped the offense on a goal line end run.
Columbia's eighth spring practice is scheduled for Friday, April 7 at 3:45 p.m. at either Robert K. Kraft Field or the Bubble at Baker. Columbia's spring football game is scheduled for Saturday, April 15 at Robert K. Kraft Field. Kickoff is at noon. Admission to the spring game is free.
SPRING OFFENSIVE PREVIEW
As spring football enters its third week and seventh practice, here is a look at what fans may see from the offense heading into fall drills. Columbia returns seven starters and a host of other key contributors to a unit that averaged 326 yards of offense per game. Please note: class years are current during spring ball, meaning that all players will move up a class this fall.
Junior quarterback Anders Hill is back to anchor an offense that improved with every game. Starting eight of 10 games in 2016, Hill completed 144 of 268 passes for 1,651 yards and 10 touchdowns and also rushed for 258 yards on 132 carries and two touchdowns. He ranked among Ivy League leaders in several categories including passing average (No. 6 at 165.1), passing efficiency (No. 7 at 111.8) and total offense (No. 5 at 190.9). Most impressive is what Hill accomplished over Columbia's final three games of the 2016 season against Harvard, Cornell and Brown, a period which saw him complete 60 percent (49 of 82) of his passes for 616 yards, six touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Backing up Hill will be a host of quarterbacks including freshman Matt Dame and sophomores Ryan Suitt and Daniel Hong. Freshman Hunter Petlansky and sophomore Kyle Castner, both quarterbacks in 2016, are making position changes to tight end and wide receiver respectively.
At running back, Columbia must replace departed senior All-Ivy League Second Team selection Alan Watson. Midway through the 2016 season, Watson emerged as the Lions' feature back as he ranked fourth in the Ivy League in rushing yards per game (62.7) and led the Lions in rushing yards (627), carries (133) and yards per carry (4.7). He also caught 17 passes for 120 yards and totaled three 100-yard rushing games, including two consecutive to close out the 2016 season. He also led the Lions in all-purpose yardage (816 yards).
In replacing the speedy Watson, the Lions will count on freshmen Tanner Thomas and Lynnard Rose, along with junior Chris Schroer. Thomas ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries last year and Schroer rushed for 167 yards on 43 carries (3.9 yards per carry) and also caught eight passes for 55 yards. Rose, who accumulated 313 all-purpose yards, contributed primarily as a kick and punt returner. Also vying for playing time in the backfield include junior Turner DeMuth, along with freshmen Van Neils, Alex Gibson.
Despite losing seniors Scooter Hollis (36 catches, 363 yards), Cameron Dunn (32 catches, 332 yards, 2 TDs) and Toure Douglas (seven receptions, 68 yards) to graduation, Columbia returns its two most productive and most dangerous wide receivers from last year in freshmen Josh Wainwright and Ronald Smith II. In nine games, Wainwright led the team in receptions (42), receiving yards (515) and touchdown receptions (5) in 2016. He also caught a touchdown pass in each of Columbia's last three games and also finished second on the squad in all-purpose yardage with 800. He finished fifth in the Ivy League in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game and seventh in the league in all-purpose yards per game. In only five games and two starts, Smith led Columbia in yards per reception (16.3) and receiving yards per game (68.4) while finishing with 21 catches for 342 yards and four touchdowns. His most outstanding performance came in an 11-catch, 195-yard outing vs. Cornell last year.
In addition, freshman Christian Everett (eight catches, 93 yards) and sophomore Tre Gabriel (1-5) both saw extensive playing time in 2016. Sophomore Kyle Castner makes a position switch from quarterback to wide receiver. In addition, the Lions return several other receivers including junior Marcus Briscoe, sophomore Brandon Krcilek (2-8), along with freshmen Kaleb Pitts, Ian VanDenBerg, Joseph Leeman and Christian Boujaoude.
At tight end, freshman Rory Schlageter emerged as the starter toward the end of the 2016 season. Other tight ends who could factor into the playing rotation include juniors Bailey Popeck and Zach Dansby along with freshmen Kyle Baskin and Ben Hill. Freshman Hunter Petlansky moves from quarterback to tight end. Graduated senior John Hunton finished the 2016 season with eight receptions for 94 yards.
On the offensive line, Columbia returns eight of its top-10 players on the depth chart and three starters from the 2016 squad. With as much talent, depth and experience returning, once again the offensive line could be a team strength in 2017. Departed are two seniors in Kendall Pace (left tackle) and Nathan Gibbs (right guard). An All-Ivy League Second Team selection in 2016, Pace started all 40 games played during his four-year career and proved to be one of the program's all-time top offensive linemen, while Gibbs started all 20 games over the last two seasons.
Columbia's three returning starters include sophomore left guard Charlie Flores (15 career starts), sophomore center Tyler Schonewolf (10 career starts) and junior right tackle Bewley Wales (20 career starts). Also returning to compete for starting positions include five other letterwinners with experience. Sophomore Brock Anglin, who served as Pace's backup last season at left tackle. Junior Markham Paukune saw extensive action in seven games and two starts last year at right guard and junior Ben Robbins played in two games. Freshman Parker Coogan (two games played in 2016) and junior Mike McGrath (three games) both have an opportunity to earn playing time. Other offensive lineman who will compete for playing time include juniors Reid Stables, Pat Denny and Peter Szymanski, sophomore Adam Armesto, freshmen Joseph Scowden, John Fischer II, Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal, Drew Schoeberl and Isaac Werkman.
Congrats to Justin Aimonetti, Reid Stables & Mike Hinton for making the Dean's List!
— Columbia Football (@ColumbiaLionsFB) April 4, 2017
Today they were honored at our Academic Luncheon. pic.twitter.com/AlrKsZ0u7T
WideOut Spring Practice 5 & 6!! #ColumbiaWideOuts #Attack #LionMentality pic.twitter.com/YYEEpyzxGs
— Todd Gilcrist (@coachtoddgil) April 3, 2017
6 opportunities to show our staff you have that #LionMentality.
— Columbia Football (@ColumbiaLionsFB) April 4, 2017
Register at https://t.co/JEG2Cf0d8a pic.twitter.com/C1rVGmSbiA
