GAME 10
COLUMBIA (3-6, 2-4 Ivy League) at CORNELL (3-6, 2-4 Ivy League)
Saturday, November 23, 2019 • 1:30 p.m. ET • Schoellkopf Field • Ithaca, N.Y.
 

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THE FACTS
 
Television: ESPN+ (Barry Leonard and Buck Briggs) | Watch Live on ESPN+
 
Columbia Online Radio Network: John Fanta on www.gocolumbialions.com | Listen Live
 
Live Stats: www.cornellbigred.com | Live Stats
 
Coaches: Columbia- Al Bagnoli, 5th year at Columbia (22-27), 37th year overall (257-125). Cornell- David Archer, 7^th year at Cornell (18-51), 7^th year overall (18-51).
 
Series: Columbia and Cornell meet for the 107th time in series history with Cornell holding a 65-38-3 advantage. Columbia has claimed each of the last two matchups including a 24-21 win over the Big Red in New York last year and an 18-8 victory at Schoellkopf Field in 2017. Over the last 20 meetings, Columbia is 9-11.
 

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GAME NOTES
 
ITHACA, N.Y.—Columbia (3-6, 2-4 Ivy League) plays the final contest of its 149th anniversary year and 129th season of college football when it travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to take on Cornell (3-6, 2-4 Ivy League) in the Empire State Bowl. The contest will be played on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Schoellkopf Field with kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET.
 
The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Barry Leonard (play-by-play) and Buck Briggs (color commentary) calling the action. The Columbia Online Radio Network will also provide a free audio-only simulcast broadcast on its website (www.gocolumbialions.com). John Fanta will call action from Ithaca, N.Y.
 
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES

• Columbia plays its final game of the 2019 football season on Saturday.
• Columbia's senior class has the opportunity to finish its career with a winning record. The group enters its final game with a 20-19 overall record. Should the Lions win, the class would become the winningest class at Columbia since 1963.
• Saturday's Empire State Bowl Game marks the final collegiate game for 28 Lions seniors
• Columbia enters its matchup with Cornell after claiming each of the last two games in the series. The series is virtually even through the last 20 matchups as Cornell holds a slight 11-9 edge.

 
ABOUT THE LIONS
 
Columbia is 3-6 on the season and 2-4 in Ivy League play after dropping a disappointing 48-24 loss to Brown in its final home contest of the year. Brown quarterback EJ Perry threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score as Brown jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and held off Columbia the rest of the way for a 48-24 victory. Brown scored the game's final 20 points, scored 14 points off Lions turnovers and answered several Columbia comeback attempts. Columbia battled back and cut its deficit to four points two times but Brown's offense answered both times with touchdowns. The Lions trimmed the lead down to 21-17, but Brown answered with a 70-yard touchdown run by Allen Smith right before halftime. Columbia cut its deficit to 28-24 in the third quarter on a 44-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Ty Lenhart to senior wide receiver Josh Wainwright, but the Bears put together a 75-yard, six-play drive which ended on a 49-yard pass from Perry to Jakob Prall. Brown outgained Columbia 457-427 in yardage, 18-17 in first downs, and registered three turnovers (recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass) to Columbia's one.
 
The previous week, Columbia registered a dramatic 17-10 overtime victory over Harvard last Saturday. Ben Mathiasmeier sealed the victory in overtime for Columbia as he intercepted a pass after Mike Roussos scored on a one-yard touchdown run, which was setup by a 25-yard pass from Ty Lenhart to Rory Schlageter. Columbia's defense enjoyed its best performance of the year as it held Harvard to just 200 yards of total offense, 63 rushing yards, and just 10 first downs. The Crimson converted just three of 13 third downs and was 0-2 on fourth down. The Lions outgained Harvard 307-200 in total offense, registered 20 first downs to the Crimson's 10 and outrushed the Crimson 154-63 in yardage. The Lions also converted nine of its 18 third downs and controlled possession for the majority of the game (38:46 to 21:14). Harvard entered the contest leading the nation in sacks (4.50 per game), but the Lions allowed just two sacks on the day. Columbia defeated Harvard for the first time since Nov. 8, 2003.
 
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.
 
FINAL GAME FOR 28 COLUMBIA PLAYERS
 
Saturday's game at Cornell marks the final collegiate contest for 28 seniors. This year's senior class includes (by number): Hunter Lunsford, Lynnard Rose, Michael Murphy, Jalen Williams, Josh Wainwright, Christian Everett, Matt Dame, Oren Milstein, Carson Griffis, Benjamin McKeighan, Tanner Thomas, Ronald Smith, Jonathan Webster, Van Neils, Max Mullaney, Ben Hill, Daniel DeLorenzi, Taylor Weldon, John Fischer, Joseph Scowden, Arman Samouk, Parker Coogan, Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal, Drew Schoeberl, Rory Schlageter, Kyle Baskin, Christian Boujaoude, and Alex Robin. Depending on individual circumstances, a few of these players could return for the 2019 season.
 
The group won three games as first-years in 2016, eight games in 2017, six games in 2018 and has three wins and counting in 2019. The class currently has a 20-19 overall record. With a win Saturday at Cornell, the class would become the first football class at Columbia to graduate with a winning record since the 1963 class (18-17-1).
 
2019 SENIOR CLASS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 
Columbia Football's 28-member Class of 2018 has achieved numerous records during its time with the program (2016-19). Here are a few of those accomplishments:

• Could become the first Columbia football senior class to graduate with a winning record since 1963. The group is currently 20-19 overall with one game remaining. The 1963 squad accumulated an 18-17-1 overall record.
• 20 total victories and counting and 13 Ivy League wins from 2016-19. This group is currently 12-15 in Ivy League play.
• The 20 victories currently rank tied for first among all-time winningest senior classes since Columbia joined the Ivy League in 1956. Here is the list: 20 wins, 2016-19, and 1994-97; 19 wins, 2015-18, 1995-98 and 1996-99; 18 wins, 1960-63. With a win Saturday, the class will become the all-time winningest senior class at Columbia since the school joined the Ivy League in 1956.
• Helped Columbia set the record for most wins in back-to-back seasons (since 1956) with 14 total in 2017 (8) and 2018 (6).
• In 2017, helped lead the Lions to an 8-2 overall, 5-2 Ivy League record and second place finish in the league, Columbia's best overall record, best Ivy League season and highest Ivy League finish in 21 years (since 1996). The eight wins rank tied for the third most wins in school history.
• Led the Lions to a seven-game win streak from Nov. 19, 2016 to Oct. 28, 2017, the school's longest win streak since 1935 and third longest win streak in school history.
• In 2018, helped lead the Lions to a 6-0 start to a season for the first time since 1996. The 6-0 start marked just the second time since 1945 that Columbia began a year with six straight victories.
• Defeated all seven Ivy League opponents at least one time and became the first four-year class to achieve that
• The group is Head Coach Al Bagnoli's first full recruiting class at Columbia.
• The group entered Columbia as the nation's No. 3 ranked FCS recruiting class in 2016.

 
FIRST SENIOR CLASS TO DEFEAT ALL IVY LEAGUE OPPONENTS SINCE 1998
 
With its victory over Harvard on Nov. 9, Columbia's 2019 senior class senior class became the first senior class to defeat all seven Ivy League schools since the Class of 1998 under Ray Tellier, finally beat Dartmouth in 1998.
 
Al Bagnoli became the first coach at Columbia to defeat all seven since Ray Tellier in 1998. It took Bagnoli five years to reach that milestone, while it took Tellier 10 years.
 
COLUMBIA, LIONS PLAYERS AMONG 2019 NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
With one game remaining, Columbia is ranked among the nation's top-25 FCS teams in six different team statistical categories in 2019. According to the NCAA statistics, Columbia ranked:

• No. 3 in first downs defense (156).
• No. 4 in punt returns (17.3).
• No. 8 in fewest penalties (46).
• No. 14 in blocked kicks (4)
• No. 17 in kickoff returns (23.48).
• No. 17 in fewest penalty yards (449).

 
Individually, the Lions rank among the top-25 national statistical leaders in five categories:

• Will Allen, No. 1 in blocked kicks (3).
• Mike Roussos, No. 2 in punt return touchdowns (1).
• Mike Roussos, No. 3 in punt returns (17.3)
• Mike Roussos, No. 4 in combined kick returns (859)
• Mike Roussos, No. 23 in kickoff returns (24.4).

 
JOSH WAINWRIGHT BECOMES FOURTH PLAYER TO REGISTER 2,000 CAREER YARDS RECEIVING, SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR FASTEST TO 2,000 YARDS RECEIVING
 
Last week against Brown, senior wide receiver Josh Wainwright became just the fourth player in school history to surpass the 2,000-yard receiving milestone and set a school-record for fastest to 2,000-yards receiving.
 
Wainwright (2,024 yards) is now ranked No. 4 on the all-time career receiving yards list behind 1. Austin Knowlin, 2,484 yards from 2006-09, 2. Bill Reggio, 2,384 yards from 1981-83 and 3. Don Lewis, 2,207 yards from 1981-83.
 
Wainwright surpassed the 2,000-yard mark after only 28 games and 161 catches. He surpassed the previous record of 33 games set by Austin Knowlin.
 
ABOUT CORNELL
 
Cornell enters Saturday's contest after upsetting nationally ranked and previously undefeated Dartmouth 20-17 last Saturday in Hanover, N.H. The Big Red was named the STATS FCS National Team of the Week after the victory. Cornell improved to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in Ivy League play.
 
Cornell is led by quarterback Richie Kenney, who has completed 136 of 245 passes for 1,825 yards and nine touchdowns.
 
Running back Harold Coles has rushed for 710 yards, four touchdowns and a 6.0 yards per carry on 119 attempts, while SK Howard has 276 yards and two touchdowns on 54 attempts.
 
Seven receivers have caught at least 15 passes for the Big Red including Phazione McClurge, who leads the team with 38 receptions for 614 yards and three touchdowns. Owen Peters (28 catches, 420 yards, one touchdown), Eric Gallman (27 catches, 291 yards, one TD), John Fitzgerald (18 catches, 195 yards, one TD) and Alex Kuzy (15 catches, 210 yards) are other top targets.
 
On defense, Cornell is led by Jelani Taylor, who has made 69 tackles (45 solo), intercepted a team-high three passes and broke up nine.