NEW YORK—This is the 16th feature in a #CUFootball150 series on Top-10 Historical Lists for Columbia Football. Below is a list of Columbia Football's all-time Top-10 Worst Weather Games. Listed games include contests played in heavy rain, heavy snow, strong wind, frigid cold, and/or matchups that were played with field conditions that were less than ideal.
 
Note: These games are ranked by the difficulty of play, not whether Columbia won or lost or the impact of the game.
 
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17. Sept. 27, 2008 (Towson 31, Columbia 24)
Played in a heavy downpour at Towson's Unitas Stadium, Towson breaks a 24-24 tie with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:06 to play. Led by quarterback Shane Kelly who throws for 281 yards and two touchdowns, Columbia battles back from a 17-7 deficit. On defense, Columbia registers 8.0 tackles for loss, while Alex Gross (13 tackles), Drew Quinn (12 tackles), and Andy Shalbrack (11 tackles, 3.0 TFL) lead the Lion defensive effort.
 
16. Nov. 21, 1931 (Columbia 0, Syracuse 0)
Played in a heavy downpour at Baker Field, Columbia and Syracuse played to a 0-0 tie after the teams combined for 21 punts. Though not able to score, the Lions kept the ball in Syracuse territory for the majority of the game. Due to an injury to Ralph Hewitt, the game marked Cliff Montgomery's first full contest at quarterback for the Lions. As the 1931 season finale, Columbia finished the year with a 7-1-1 overall record.
 
15. Nov. 28, 1940 (Columbia 0, Brown 0)
In Providence, R.I., Columbia and Brown play to a 0-0 tie before 15,000 fans on a field piled high with ice and snow. A Len Will field goal try was wide and short as Columbia's best scoring chance. The wintery conditions halted both teams' offenses.
 
14. Nov. 22, 1952 (Columbia 14, Brown 0)
A wet, soggy day saw Columbia force nine Brown fumbles en route to a 14-0 victory at Baker Field. On back-to-back fumble recoveries, Columbia built a 14-0 lead with 10:57 left in the first quarter and the score would stay that way through the game. Columbia recovered five fumbles in the contest. The game was played before both schools joined the Ivy League in 1956.
 
13. Oct. 22, 2016 (Columbia 9, Dartmouth 7)
First-year placekicker Oren Milstein shakes off wind gusts of 40 miles per hour and intermittent rain and cold as he connects on three field goals to lead Columbia to a 9-7 win over Dartmouth during a key Homecoming contest. Milstein converts field goals of 31, 20, and the game-winner, a 33-yarder in the third quarter. Columbia's defense holds Dartmouth to just 1-17 third down conversions. The victory snaps Columbia's 15-game losing streak in Homecoming Games.
 
12. Jan. 1, 1934 (Columbia 7, Stanford 0)
In one of the greatest upsets in college football history, Columbia conquers heavily favored Stanford 7-0 in the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. The game was played on a drenched and muddy field that saw heavy rain. It was Columbia's defense that was the key as it took advantage of a wet field and forced multiple fumbles to end numerous Stanford scoring drives. Behind All-America quarterback Cliff Montgomery, Columbia began moving the ball in the second quarter and after he completed a pass to Tony "Red" Matal for a first down at the Stanford 17-yard line, Columbia Head Coach Lou Little called his special play "KF-79." Montgomery faked a handoff to halfback Ed Brominski, who sprinted to the right with the entire Stanford defense in full pursuit. But the quarterback pulled the ball back and handed it off to his fullback, Ed Barabas, who sped around the left end with no blockers in sight. Barabas raced into the end zone untouched and Newell "Newt" Wilder followed with the extra point for a 7-0 Columbia halftime lead. Columbia's defense rose to the occasion in the second half and stopped Stanford multiple times. With the win, Columbia is crowned the "mythical' national champion of college football.
 
11. Oct. 19, 1968 (Yale 29, Columbia 7)
When referring to the contest, sportswriters claimed the game was not played at the Yale Bowl, but rather the "Mud" Bowl. The game started well for Columbia as quarterback Marty Domres hit Jim O'Connor for a 40-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but Yale went on to score 29 unanswered points for the win.
 
10. Oct. 17, 1903 (Columbia 12, Amherst 0)
In a driving rainstorm on a slippery and wet field, Columbia bested Amherst 12-0 at the Polo Grounds. Columbia scored both of its touchdowns in the first half and played stellar defense in the second half. On the opening kickoff and in the first 10 seconds of play, Amherst fumbled the ball in the end zone where Columbia's Robert Stangland fell on it for a touchdown and 6-0 lead. Columbia's William Duell scored on a line plunge for the second touchdown and 12-0 lead. Amherst was held to just three first downs in the contest.
 
9. Oct. 25, 2008 (Columbia 21, Dartmouth 13)
Columbia and Dartmouth dealt with driving rain and 30 mile per hour wind as the Lions took a 21-13 decision at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. Columbia took a 14-7 halftime lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Ray Rangel and 19-yard pass from quarterback Shane Kelly to Austin Knowlin. After two Dartmouth field goals cut Columbia's lead to 14-13, the Lions put together a nine-play, 81-yard fourth quarter scoring drive engineered by quarterback M.A. Olawale that ended in a 10-yard touchdown run by Olawale. Olawale completed all seven of his pass attempts for 111 yards and ran for 54 yards on eight attempts. Lou Miller registered three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss and Alex Gross contributed nine tackles on defense. Columbia's offense gained 374 yards and 22 first downs and its defense held Dartmouth 174 total yards and just 11 first downs. The victory marked Columbia's first of the 2008 season.
 
8. Oct. 1, 1966 (Princeton 14, Columbia 12)
In the second game of the season for both teams, Princeton won a 14-12 close victory over Columbia. A driving rain reduced an expected Palmer Stadium crowd of 30,000 to 2,000 huddling under umbrellas, plus washed out enough yard makers to cause the officials to erroneously give Princeton a first down on a 15-yard penalty when the play began in need of 17. By halftime the field was so muddy, officials refused to let the bands march. A Columbia receiver sneaked his way back onto the field and caught a fourth-down pass, which the officials let stand. Columbia battled back from 14-0 deficit with two long fourth quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Richard Ballantine to Jim O'Connor including a 72-yarder and 80-yarder. The Lions missed both extra points. Ballantine threw for 313 yards on the day after completing nine of 23 passes and O'Connor caught five passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. The game ended with the ball at Princeton's 20-yard line with Columbia unable to get its placekicker on the field in time. Princeton was limited to two completions in 13 passes on the day.
 
7. Nov. 3, 1928 (Columbia 0, Cornell 0)
In a heavy rainfall with mud hindering the field, Columbia and Cornell played to a 0-0 tie at Baker Field. According to the Columbia Spectator, the game became a "punting duel" as the teams combined for 25 punts while dealing with Baker Field, which had turned into a "lake of mud." The slippery field hampered both offenses.
 
6. Nov. 13, 1937 (Columbia 6, Syracuse 6)
Muddy Baker Field hampers both teams as Columbia and Syracuse played to a 6-6 tie. The game was played before 12,000 fans who braved a long rain and fierce wind to watch the teams slog through slime and slush. Columbia's Robert Taylor scored on a running play and Sid Luckman seemingly followed with the extra point conversion, but the point was called off and the Lions only had to settle for six points.
 
5. Nov. 28, 1936 (Columbia 7, Stanford 0)
In snowy weather conditions, George Furey scores on a 79-yard kickoff return and Columbia's defense does the rest as the Lions register a 7-0 victory over Stanford at the Polo Grounds in New York City. In 81 years of football Stanford had never played a game in the snow, according to Stanford's media relations department. Stanford, clearly bothered by the weather conditions, completed just four of 32 passes on the day, though Columbia fumbled four times.
 
4. Oct. 3, 2015 (Princeton 10, Columbia 5)
In a game played in driving sideways rain, 21-31 mile per hour wind, and cold temperatures, Princeton claimed a 10-5 win over Columbia at Princeton Stadium. Trailing 10-0, Columbia battled back with a 30-yard field goal by Cameron Nizialek. In the third quarter, Princeton was fortunate when Columbia's Max Keefe fell on a blocked Tyler Roth '17 punt with one foot barely over the end line, turning what could have been a touchdown into a safety. The Lions had several possessions in the fourth quarter but couldn't score. The two teams combined for just 20 first downs and 17 punts and converted just 7-31 third downs. Just 300 people attended the game.

 
3. Oct. 29, 2011 (Yale 16, Columbia 13)
In heavy snow and 32-degree weather, Yale claimed a 16-13 victory over Columbia behind a 230-yard, two touchdown rushing performance by Mordecai Cargill at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. The wind-swept field was covered with falling snow and visibility was limited all day long. The Lions battle back from a 16-0 fourth quarter deficit with two Sean Brackett touchdown passes to Zack McKown (26 yards) and Mike Stephens (4 yards). Yale was held to just 16 yards passing while completing just 2-10 passes.
 
2. Nov. 8, 1947 (Columbia 15, Dartmouth 0)
In what was dubbed the "Mud Bowl," No. 17 ranked Columbia capitalized on five Dartmouth fumbles and an interception to register its second straight shutout win, 15-0 at Baker Field. After a scoreless first half, the Lions got on the board with a safety when Joe Karas blocked a quick kick that was knocked out of the end zone by a Dartmouth player. Shortly afterward, Robert "Doc" Lincoln's interception set up a rushing score and the Lions were in command 9-0. Dartmouth gained just 57 yards rushing and 58 yards passing. Columbia shutout four of its opponents in 1947 and did not allow an offensive touchdown from the second half of the famous Army victory on Oct. 25 through the end of the season. The Lions finish 7-2 overall and ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press national poll.
 
1. Oct. 16, 1996 (Columbia 3, Lafayette 0)
Horizontal sheets of driving rain and 30-mile per hour wind guaranteed one of the lowest scoring games in school history as Columbia won a 3-0 Homecoming victory over Lafayette at Baker Field. Lafayette is held to just 76 yards of total offense on 58 plays and a 1.31 yards per play average. The two teams combine for just 11 first downs and 194 combined yards of offense. On defense, Marcellus Wiley finishes with 11 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. Columbia also intercepts two passes and totals 8.0 tackles for loss. Matt Linit kicks a 24-yard field goal in driving rain and 20-30 miles per hour wind to give the Lions the victory.