GAME 9 • IVY LEAGUE MATCHUP
COLUMBIA (4-4, 1-4 Ivy League) at BROWN (1-7, 0-5 Ivy League)
Saturday, November 10, 2018 • Noon ET • Brown Stadium • Providence, R.I.
THE FACTS
Television: NESN/ESPN+ live (Allen Bestwick, Nick Coit; Producer: TBA) |
WATCH LIVE |
ESPN+ FAQ
Columbia Online Radio Network: Jared Smith and Shawn FitzGerald |
LISTEN LIVE
Live Stats: www.brownbears.com |
LIVE STATS LINK
Coaches: Columbia-
Al Bagnoli, 4th year at Columbia (17-21), 36th year overall (252-119). Brown- Phil Estes, 21st year at Brown (115-72), 21st year overall (115-72).
Series: Columbia and Brown meet for the 83rd time in series history. Columbia has claimed each of the last two matchups including a 31-13 win over Brown in 2016 and a 24-6 win vs. the Bears in 2017. Brown leads the all-time series 52-28-2 and is 27-11-1 in games played in Providence.
GAME NOTES
NEW YORK—Columbia (4-4, 1-4 Ivy League) travels to Providence R.I. to play Brown (1-7, 0-5 Ivy League) on Saturday at Brown Stadium. The contest marks Columbia's ninth overall contest and final road game of the season. After Saturday's matchup, Columbia has one more game left- vs. Cornell (Nov. 17) at home for Columbia Football Players Club Senior Day. It is Columbia's first game on natural grass this season.
SATURDAY'S TOP STORYLINES
- With victories in each of its last two games, Columbia can record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1961 and 1962.
- Columbia (4-4) enters its game after claiming two straight wins over Brown in consecutive seasons.
- Columbia has 20-plus players who are either sidelined for the year or have suffered injuries this season including five players who earned All-Ivy League honors in 2017. Columbia's top three quarterbacks have all endured injuries this season.
- Columbia has won six of its last 10 games and 13 of its last 19 games dating back to the conclusion of the 2016 season.
WHERE TO LISTEN/WATCH
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and broadcast live on New England Sports Network with Allen Bestwick (play-by-play) and Nick Coit (color analyst) calling action. The Columbia Online Radio Network will also air a live radio broadcast with Jared Smith (play-by-play) and Shawn FitzGerald (color analyst) calling action. The audio-only broadcast is available for free at www.gocolumbialions.com.
LIONS IN SEARCH OF BACK-TO-BACK WINNING SEASONS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1961-62
With victories in its last two games (at Brown and vs. Cornell), Columbia would secure its first back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1961-62. In 1961, Columbia captured the 1961 Ivy League Championship with a 6-3 overall record and followed that up with a 5-4 record in 1962. Aldo T. "Buff" Donelli coached both teams.
This year, Columbia enters its last two contests with a 4-4 overall record. Columbia finished 8-2 in 2017.
BACK-TO-BACK .500-PLUS SEASONS
A win Saturday at Brown would give Columbia Football its fifth victory of the year and two straight .500-plus seasons for the first time since 1961-63 when the Lions put together three straight .500-plus years.
MOST WINS OVER TWO-YEAR PERIOD
With its 12 victories over the last two seasons (combining 2017 and 2018), Columbia has already tied its school-record for most total victories combining two consecutive seasons since it joined the Ivy League in 1956. The Lions also won 12 games in 1996-97.
In the 128-year history of Columbia Football, the record is 17 wins over a two-year period in both 1901-02 and 1903-04. Other top winningest two-year periods include 16 wins in 1899-1900; 15 wins in 1900-01, 1933-34, 1932-33 and 1902-03; 14 wins in 1901-02, 1931-32, 1945-46; 13 wins in 1946-47, 1931-32; and 12 wins in 2017-18, 1996-97, 1930-31 and 1925-26.
LIONS SUFFER INJURIES
More than 20 players and five returning All-Ivy League selections from the 2017 season have suffered injuries for Columbia this year.
Columbia has already lost seven players to injury this season: offensive lineman
Charlie Flores, starting wide receiver
Josh Wainwright, key running back
Alexander Filacouris, placekicker
Oren Milstein, starting running back
Dante Miller, starting middle linebacker
Justin Woodley and defensive end
LinDon Harris.
Others who have missed action and could miss more action include starting quarterback
Josh Bean, backup quarterback
Dillon Davis, third-string quarterback
Ty Lenhart, fourth-string quarterback
Ryan Suitt, running back
Lynnard Rose, cornerback Ben McKeighan, cornerback
Will Allen, offensive lineman
Markham Paukune, safety
Landon Baty, wide receiver
Christian Everett, offensive lineman
Joseph Scowden, tight end
Kyle Baskin, wide receiver
Ronald Smith and wide receiver
Darion Acohido, among others.
NEXT MAN UP FOR COLUMBIA
With all the injuries, Columbia has still found a way to win. It is a "Next Man Up" mentality for Columbia Football, who has played without its top three quarterbacks, its top two wide receivers, its top two running backs and without nine other players who had started games this year. Bagnoli has depth built on three straight top-25 recruiting classes.
ABOUT THE LIONS
Winners of 13 of its last 19 games, Columbia continues Ivy League play after dropping a 52-18 loss at Harvard on Nov. 3 and defeating Yale at home 17-10 on Oct. 27 at Robert K. Kraft Field. Harvard opened the game with three long pass plays for touchdown. Columbia was still in the game but could not convert on its opportunities. A blocked punt, stingy defense, timely offensive plays and favorable field position keyed Columbia as it registered a come-from-behind 17-10 football victory over Yale on a rainy and windy day. Columbia was outgained by Yale in total yardage (428-160), first downs (22-9), passing yards (238-51) and time of possession (33:48-26:12). But the Lions won the field position battle all day long as punter
Drew Schmid pinned Yale inside its own 20-yard line a school-record seven times, placekicker
Chris Alleyne converted the second-longest field goal in school history, a 51-yarder in the first quarter, fourth-string quarterback
Ryan Suitt found tight end
Casey Mariucci for a third quarter 15-yard touchdown pass after
Carson Powell blocked a Yale punt, third-string running back
Ryan Young scored on an impressive 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Columbia's defense held Yale scoreless in the second half and stopped Yale three times in the fourth quarter.
Prior to the Yale victory, Columbia dropped a 28-12 loss to No. 24 Dartmouth in which the Big Green opened up a closely-contested game with three second half touchdowns. Columbia sustained long drives, totaled 314 yards of offense and completed 72 percent of its passes (31-43) for 228 yards, but the Lions could not convert enough of their long drives into touchdowns. The Lions ventured three times into Dartmouth's red zone and came away with only one touchdown. Nine Columbia players were carried off the field with injuries and the Lions went through three quarterbacks on the day as starter
Josh Bean and
Ty Lenhart—both were sidelined with injuries.
In a closely-contested 13-10 loss to Penn on Oct. 13, the Lions had several opportunities to win the game but couldn't convert. On Oct. 6, Columbia concluded its non-conference schedule with a 3-0 record after defeating Marist 34-24 The Lions' Ivy League opener was a 45-10 loss to No. 21/25 Princeton on Friday, Sept. 28. Columbia won its first two games against Northeast Conference champion and NEC preseason favorite Central Connecticut State (41-24) and a Lou Little Cup win at Georgetown (23-15).
In 2017, Columbia completed one of its most successful seasons in school history under Head Coach
Al Bagnoli. In 2018, the Lions returned 14 of 22 starters (seven on offense and seven on defense) and six All-Ivy League selections from a program that recorded its best season in 21 years. Last year, Columbia posted an 8-2 record, finished second in the Ivy League with a 5-2 record, began a season with six straight wins for the first time since 1996, put together the school's longest win streak since 1935 (seven games) and posted one of the nation's top-five best yearly comebacks in the FCS with a five-win improvement from 2016 to 2017. Along the way, it was the Lions' resiliency, toughness and work ethic that captured the attention of their fans, the New York City media and national media members alike.
COLUMBIA, LIONS PLAYERS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS IN A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES
Columbia ranks among the nation's top-25 FCS teams in 11 different team statistical categories. According to the NCAA statistics, Columbia is ranked:
- No. 1 in blocked punts allowed (0).
- No. 2 in fumbles lost (2).
- No. 5 in fewest penalties yards (308).
- No. 12 in fewest penalty yards per game (38.50).
- No. 12 in fewest penalties (40).
- No. 14 in kickoff returns (24.50).
- No. 14 in punt returns (14.09)
- No. 17 in first downs defense (144).
- No. 19 in time of possession (32:09).
- No. 23 in blocked punts (1).
Individually, several Lions also rank among the top-25 national statistical leaders in five different categories:
COLUMBIA, LIONS PLAYERS LEAD THE IVY LEAGUE IN VARIOUS STATS
Columbia and its players rank among Ivy League leaders in a variety of statistics:
- As a team, Columbia leads the league in punt return average (14.1), kickoff returns (25.9), field goal percentage (.875) and on-side kicks by (1-2).
- Chris Alleyne leads in field goal percentage (87.5%), field goals (14, 1.75 per game) and PAT percentage (100%).
- Ryan Gilbert leads in tackles (74, 9.2 per game)
- Cameren Carter leads in fumble recoveries (2).
Other Lions are also ranked among league leaders in a variety of statistics including
Dante Miller (No. 10 in rushing),
Ty Lenhart (No. 10 in passing average per game, No. 10 in pass efficiency, No. 9 in scoring touchdowns),
Chris Alleyne (No. 6 in scoring, No. 2 in kick scoring),
Kyle Castner (No. 6 in receptions per game),
Sean White (No. 5 in tackles),
Jacob Young (No. 25 in tackles),
Daniel DeLorenzi (No. 2 in sacks, No. 7 in tackles in for loss),
Drew Schmid (No. 2 in punting).
ABOUT THE BEARS
Brown enters Saturday's game with a 1-7 overall and 0-5 Ivy League record. On offense, the Bears are led by quarterback Michael McGovern, who has thrown for 1,767 yards and six touchdowns while completing 146 of 284 passes. He averages 220.9 yards passing per game in eight games played. Three players have rushed for over 100 yards including Allen Smith (175 yards, 2TD), Livingstone Harriott (140 yards, 1TD) and Scott Boylan (135 yards, 2TD). Anton Casey leads the Bears in receiving with 26 catches for 328 yards and a touchdown. In addition, L. Harriott has 21 receptions for 287 yards, J. Blandburg has caught 21 passes for 239 yards and Jakob Prall has 20 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns (17.2 yards per catch).
On defense, Brown is led by Daniel Aidman, with 71 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, Brendan Pyne, with 65 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss and Michael Hoecht, with 59 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss (3.0 sacks).
