GAME 5 • 75TH ANNUAL HOMECOMING WEEKEND
PENN (2-2, 0-1 IVY LEAGUE) at COLUMBIA (1-3, 0-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, October 19, 2019 • 1:35 p.m. ET • Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium • New York, N.Y.
THE FACTS
Television/Streaming: SNY/ESPN+ (Lance Medow and Sal Licata, producer: Sol Steinberg) |
Watch Live
Columbia Online Radio Network: Simulcast with TV broadcast (audio only) |
Listen Live
Live Stats: www.gocolumbialions.com |
Live Stats Link
Coaches: Columbia-
Al Bagnoli, 5th year at Columbia (20-24), 37th year (255-122). Penn- Ray Priore, 5th year at Penn (28-16), 5th year overall (28-16).
Series: Columbia and Penn meet for the 99th time in series history with the Quakers holding a 75-22-1 advantage in a series dating back to 1878. The last time the two schools met in New York, Columbia claimed a 34-31 overtime win on Homecoming on Oct. 14, 2017. Penn holds a 27-17 lead in series games played in New York City.
GAME NOTES
NEW YORK—Columbia (1-3, 0-1 Ivy League) continues its 149th anniversary year and 129th season of college football when it hosts Penn (2-2, 0-1 Ivy League) for its 75th annual Homecoming Game and Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.
The contest will be televised live on SportsnetNY (SNY) and streamed live on ESPN+ with Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Sal Licata (color commentary) calling action. The live feed is available on ESPN+ (subscription required). Columbia will also provide a free audio only broadcast on its website.
SATURDAY'S TOP STORYLINES
- Columbia hosts Penn for its 75th annual Homecoming Game. The Lions have won two of their last three Homecoming games.
- Columbia Head Coach Al Bagnoli was the head coach at Penn for 23 seasons from 1992-2014. He led the Quakers to nine Ivy League titles, a 148-89 record and 112-49 Ivy League record.
- Columbia has won nine of its last 16 overall games and 16 of its last 25 contests dating back to the 2016 season.
- Columbia is coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1961 and 1962. With 14 wins combining the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Lions have set a program-record for most victories in consecutive seasons since joining the Ivy League in 1956.
ABOUT THE LIONS
Columbia is 1-3 on the season after dropping a 24-14 home loss to Central Connecticut State (5-1) last Saturday in its final non-conference game at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. The Lions have played a difficult early-season schedule as each of its three losses have come to teams with a 13-3 overall record, while two of those teams are currently ranked in national polls: Princeton and Central Connecticut State.
On Saturday, Columbia fell behind early and attempted to battle back from a 10-point deficit at halftime. The Lions were outgained in yardage (511-221), first downs (21-11) and time of possession (38:40-21:20), but still, they had a variety of chances to win the game and couldn't convert.
Mike Roussos led the Lions with 185 all-purpose yards and his first career touchdown reception,
Josh Wainwright caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, his sixth 100-yard receiving game, while
Daniel DeLorenzi totaled two sacks and
John Harris led the defense with a career-high 15 tackles in his first career start. For the first time, Columbia was playing without two starters at linebacker and without receiver
Ronald Smith.
Columbia enters the weekend at 0-1 in Ivy League play after dropping a 21-10 Ivy League opening contest at No. 23/25 Princeton on Oct. 5. The Lions limited the Tigers to just 21 points, its second-fewest points scored in three years. Columbia played well and was in the game up until Princeton completed a 27-yard pass on third-down-and-10 late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback
Josh Bean completed 23 of 29 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown,
Ronald Smith finished with a season-high eight receptions for 87 yards and a 24-yard touchdown in the second quarter and
Ben Mathiasmeier led the defense with a career-high 10 tackles and one interceptions.
Columbia opened its 2019 season after registering back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1961 and 1962. The Lions returned 15 starters (eight on offense and seven on defense) and nine total All-Ivy League selections from a program that won 14 of its 20 games over the previous two seasons (8-2 in 2017 and 6-4 in 2018). Last year, Columbia endured a season that saw it suffer injuries to over 25 of its key players. It started four different quarterbacks and won with all of them, lost its top two running backs and top two receivers to injuries and still registered a winning season.
LIONS SCHEDULE PROVES TO BE VERY DIFFICULT
Columbia has played an extremely difficult schedule in the early-going this year. The Lions' three losses have come to teams who have compiled a 13-3 overall record in the early-going this year: Central Connecticut State 5-1, Princeton 4-0, Georgetown 4-2. Princeton and CCSU are both ranked in this week's national polls.
BAGNOLI AND PENN
Saturday's matchup vs. Penn marks the fifth meeting between Bagnoli and his former employer Penn, where he spent 23 seasons as the Quakers' head coach from 1992-2014. In 23 seasons, Bagnoli guided Penn to nine Ivy League championships (1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010 and 2012), a 148-89 overall record and 112-49 Ivy League record. He also led Penn to three undefeated seasons (10-0 in 1993, 9-0 in 1994 and 10-0 in 2003), 12 years of seven or more victories and six perfect 7-0 Ivy League slates. Bagnoli also guided Penn on the longest winning streak in FCS history (24 wins from 1993-95).
At Penn, Bagnoli compiled a 20-3 record vs. Columbia. Against Penn, he is 1-3 with Columbia's lone win, a 34-31 defeat of the Quakers in a thrilling overtime victory before 13,000-plus Homecoming fans in 2017. He has registered victories against all eight Ivy League teams.
COLUMBIA, LIONS PLAYERS AMONG 2019 NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
After four games, Columbia is ranked among the nation's top-25 FCS teams in 15 different team statistical categories in 2019. According to the NCAA statistics, Columbia ranked:
- No. 1 in blocked punts allowed (0).
- No. 2 in punt returns (22.63).
- No. 4 in fewest penalties (19).
- No. 5 in first downs defense (180).
- No. 5 in fewest penalty yards (180).
- No. 8 in red zone defense (63.6).
- No. 9 in sacks (3.00).
- No. 14 in fewest penalties per game (4.75).
- No. 16 in scoring defense (20.8).
- No. 17 in blocked kicks (2).
- No. 18 in fewest fumbles lost (2).
- No. 23 in rushing defense (114.3).
- No. 24 in third down conversion defense (33.9).
- No. 25 in kickoff returns (23.73).
- No. 25 in turnovers lost (7).
Individually, the Lions rank among the top-25 national statistical leaders in four categories:
LIONS LEAD IVY LEAGUE IN TWO STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Sophomore
Mike Roussos leads the Ivy League in two different statistical categories: punt return average (22.6) and kickoff return average (23.7).
MIKE ROUSSOS EARNS THIRD CAREER IVY LEAGUE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
For the third time in his career, Columbia sophomore wide receiver, punt returner and kickoff returner
Mike Roussos was named the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.
Roussos earns the honor after totaling 185 all-purpose yards (10 receiving, 87 on kickoff returns and 88 on punt returns), 175 return yards, and scoring the first offensive touchdown of his career, a 10-yard TD catch in the third quarter vs. Central Connecticut State. With his 55-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, Roussos became one of only three players in Columbia Football history to accumulate four or more returns of 50 yards or more. Those players are Eugene Rossides (5 from 1945-48) and Travis Chmelka (4 from 2000-03).
On the year, Roussos ranks No. 1 nationally in punt return touchdowns (1), No. 2 in punt return average (22.6) and No. 14 in combined kick returns. He leads the Ivy League in both punt return average (22.6) and kickoff return average (23.7). Roussos leads the Lions in scoring (four touchdowns, 24 points), all-purpose yardage (484 yards, 121.0 per game), punt returns (8-181 yards, 22.6 average), and kickoff returns (11-261, 23.7 average) and has caught six passes for 39 yards and one touchdown on offense.
Other Columbia players who earned Honor Roll status this week were senior wide receiver
Josh Wainwright and senior defensive lineman
Daniel DeLorenzi.
DELORENZI SETS COLUMBIA CAREER SACKS RECORD
With his 2.0 sacks last Saturday vs. CCSU, senior defensive end
Daniel DeLorenzi set Columbia's all-time career sacks record. He entered the game needing 1.5 sacks to break the record and now holds the record outright with 20.0 sacks, which was previously held by Lou Miller, who finished with 19.0 from 2006-09.
Last year, DeLorenzi earned First Team All-Ivy League honors after he registered 9.5 sacks for 56 yards, led the Ivy League and ranked No. 12 nationally in sacks per game (0.95). His 9.5 sacks established a new season record for sacks at Columbia. DeLorenzi has led the Lions in sacks in each of his previous three seasons at Columbia.
ABOUT PENN
Penn enters Saturday's game with a 2-2 overall record and 0-1 Ivy League record. The Quakers are coming off a 38-24 home win over Sacred Heart last Saturday. Penn opened Ivy League play with a 28-15 loss to Dartmouth on Oct. 4.
Penn averages 223.0 yards rushing and 234.8 yards passing per game. Penn is led by captain and running back Karekin Brooks, who leads the FCS and Ivy League in rushing at 157.2 yards per game, scoring (eight touchdowns) and all-purpose yards (181.2). Brooks has rushed 104 times for 629 yards and seven touchdowns (6.0 average per carry), caught 18 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown and has 725 all-purpose yards on the year.
Quarterback Nick Robinson has completed 62.7 percent of his passes (84-134) for 939 yards and seven touchdowns and has also rushed or 60 yards on 24 carries. Robinson's top targets are Ryan Cragun (19 catches for 340 yards, 2 TD), Tyler Herrick (13 catches for 104 yards) and Rory Starkey (12 catches for 225 yards).
On defense, Penn is led by Zach Evans, who has made 35 tackles and Brian O'Neill, who has 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Adam Conyer (25 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1.0 INT), Jason McCleod (20 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and captain Sam Phillipi (16 tackles, 1 INT) are also key contributors.
