GAME FIVE: HOMECOMING 2021
PENN (2-2, 0-1 Ivy League) at COLUMBIA (3-1, 0-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, October 16, 2021 • 1:35 p.m. ET • Robert K. Kraft Field • New York, N.Y.
 
THE FACTS
 
Television: SNY/NBC Sports Philadelphia/ESPN+ (Play-by-Play: Lance Medow; Color Analyst: Josh Martin) | Watch Live on ESPN+
 
Columbia Online Radio: N/A.
 
Live Stats: www.gocolumbialions.com | Live Stats
 
Coaches: Columbia- Al Bagnoli, 7th year at Columbia (25-29), 39th year overall (260-127). Penn- Ray Priore, 7th year at Penn (33-21), 7th year overall (33-21).
 
Complete Game Notes: Click here.
 
Series: Columbia and Penn meet for the 100th time in a series dating back to 1878. Penn holds a 75-23-1 all-time advantage in the series through 99 games but Columbia has claimed two of the last three matchups, including each of the last two games played in NYC. Columbia claimed a 38-point, 44-6 win in 2019.
 
GAME NOTES
 
NEW YORK—Columbia (3-1, 0-1 Ivy League) gets back into Ivy League play as it hosts Penn (2-2, 0-1 Ivy League) for its 2021 Homecoming matchup on Saturday. The contest will be played on Oct. 16 at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET. The two teams meet for the 100th time in a series dating back to 1878.
 
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES

• Columbia hosts Penn for its 80th annual Homecoming Game. The Lions have won three of their last four Homecoming games, including a 44-6 win over Penn in 2019.
• A win would give the Columbia Football program its 400th all-time victory.
• Columbia and Penn will meet for the series' 100th all-time matchup.
• Columbia Head Coach Al Bagnoli previously served as 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. Bagnoli entered the 2021 season as the nation's second active winningest coach throughout all NCAA divisions. He is the nation's winningest active coach at the FCS level. He won his 260th career game vs. CCSU.

 
ABOUT THE LIONS
 
The Lions enter the contest with a 3-1 record (0-1 Ivy League) after last Saturday's 22-20 win over Central Connecticut State, a closer-than-the-score indicates 24-7 Ivy-opening loss at Princeton, a 35-24 win vs. Georgetown, and a 37-14 season-opening win over Marist.
 
Last weekend, Columbia claimed a 22-20 decision at CCSU to wrap up non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record for the third time in the last four years. Columbia totaled 338 offensive yards including 174 rushing, finished with eight sacks, and senior linebacker Cam Dillon set a school-record with 5.5 sacks and a safety in the victory. Dante Miller rushed for a career-high 136 yards on 18 carries and a game-clinching 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, quarterback Joe Green completed 14 of 24 passes for 165 yards passing, and quarterback Gabriel Hollingworth scored his second career touchdown and ran for 30 yards on 10 carries to key the Columbia offense. On defense, Dillon led the Lions with a big day that included eight tackles, a single-game school-record 5.5 sacks, a safety, and two forced fumbles, while Justin Woodley contributed seven tackles.
 
At Princeton, the Lions dropped a tightly-contested, low-scoring game after Princeton running back Colin Eaddy scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to give the Tigers a 24-7 lead. After Princeton took a 10-0 halftime lead, Columbia cut the deficit to 10-7 on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Joe Green to Luke Painton. The Lions had several other opportunities to score in the contest but fell to 0-1 in Ivy League play.
 
Against Georgetown on Sept. 25, Columbia rushed for 232 yards and four touchdowns, quarterback Ty Lenhart scored three touchdowns, defensive back Ben Mathiasmeier intercepted two key passes, and Will Allen returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in a 35-24 Lou Little Cup win over Georgetown in New York. Columbia led the entire game as the Lions jumped on top 14-0 in the first quarter on back-to-back rushing scores set up by long plays. Allen's kickoff return gave the Lions a 21-7 lead and the Lions held off Georgetown the rest of the way. A Mathiasmeier interception and 68-yard return set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Lenhart with 4:14 to play in the third quarter. After Georgetown scored again, Columbia went up 35-24 and put the game away with a 12-play, 80-yard drive ending with an 8-yard TD run by Lenhart.
 
On Sept. 18, Columbia returned to the gridiron in fine fashion as the Lions claimed a 37-14 season-opening victory over Marist. Marist jumped out to a 14-0 lead just five minutes into the game, but the Lions scored 37 unanswered points, piled up 465 total offensive yards, and rushed for 311 yards in the victory, which marked the Lions' fourth straight win in a season opener.
 
The Marist season opener was Columbia's first game in 664 days as the Ivy League Council of Presidents canceled the 2020 football season in July 2020 due to the COVID-19  pandemic. The Council announced during spring 2021 that sport competition would begin again in the fall.
 
The Lions continue to trend upward as they have registered winning seasons in two of their last three campaigns. Seventh-year Head Coach Al Bagnoli guided Columbia to an 8-2 record (second-place Ivy finish at 5-2) in 2017 and 6-4 record (3-4 Ivy) in 2018. In 2019, Columbia went 3-7 and finished sixth in the Ivy League with a 2-5 conference record.
 
COLUMBIA SEARCHING FOR 400TH ALL-TIME WIN
 
A victory over Penn on Saturday would give the Columbia Football program its 400th all-time victory. The Lions enter the contest with a 399-682-43 all-time record.
 
At 151 years old, Columbia's Football program is the nation's third oldest college football program.
 
BAGNOLI AND PENN
 
Saturday's matchup vs. Penn marks the sixth 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 2-3 with Columbia's two wins coming in Homecoming games at Robert K. Kraft Field. In 2019, Bagnoli led Columbia to a 44-6 dominant victory over Penn, the school's largest Homecoming win in history and second-largest Ivy League victory. In 2017, Columbia won a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory before 13,000-plus Homecoming fans. He has registered victories against all eight Ivy League schools.
 
COLUMBIA HOMECOMING SUCCESS
 
Columbia enters Saturday's game after having won three of its last four Homecoming Games. The current stretch includes a 9-7 win over Dartmouth in 2016, a 34-31 overtime win over Penn in 2017, a 28-12 loss to Dartmouth in 2018, and a 44-6 win over Penn in 2019.
 
The 44-6 win over Penn marked Columbia's largest-ever victory in 79 Homecoming games.
 
In 79 all-time Homecoming Games since the University created the event in 1941, Columbia owns a 24-54-1 all-time record.
 
CAM DILLON GARNERS NATIONAL AND IVY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
 
Columbia senior linebacker Cam Dillon was named the Ivy League Football Defensive Player of the Week, and the StatsPerform National Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office and media organization announced Monday. He is Columbia's second player this season to earn the Ivy League Football Defensive Player of the Week award following senior defensive back Ben Mathiasmeier on September 27. He is the first player to earn national weekly honors since Michael Murphy in 2017.
 
In Columbia's 22-20 win at Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Dillon set the Columbia single-game record for sacks with 5.5 for 47 yards. He finished the day with eight total tackles, 5.5 sacks for 47 yards, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a safety.
 
The previous single-game sacks record was 3.0 held by five different players on seven different occasions (Josh Martin-twice, Lou Miller-twice, Hunter Little, Rashaan Curry, and Des Werthman). Dillon is the first player at Columbia to register a safety since Connor Heeb at Cornell on Nov. 11, 2017, 24 games ago. His 5.5 tackles for losses also rank No. 2 on Columbia's all-time single-game list behind Mike Quarshie's school-record 8.0 TFL vs. Fordham on Sept. 16, 2004. His 47 yards from TFL establish a new school record, surpassing the 41 yards by Quarshie in 2004.
 
On Sunday, Dillon was also named the College Sports Madness Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
 
A preseason All-Ivy League linebacker, Dillon currently leads the Ivy League in sacks (7.0) and ranks second in tackles for loss (8.0). In four games played and three starts, he has made 19 total tackles (eight solo) with 7.0 sacks for 54 yards and 8.0 tackles for loss for 55 yards. He also has an interception and a forced fumble. In his 17-game, six start career, Dillon has 49 tackles (21 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, one interception, and two pass breakups.
 
COLUMBIA, LIONS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
Through four games, Columbia is ranked among the nation's top-25 FCS teams in 10 different team statistical categories:

• No. 1 in passes had intercepted (1).
• No. 4 in sacks (3.75).
• No. 7 in tackles for loss (8.2).
• No. 12 in kickoff returns (26.08).
• No. 13 in rushing defense (92.5).
• No. 13 in first downs defense (77).
• No. 13 in turnovers lost (4).
• No. 21 in fourth down conversion percentage (71.4%).
• No. 23 in fourth down conversion percentage defense (33%).
• No. 24 in scoring defense (20.5).

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

• Cam Dillon, No. 2 in sacks (1.75 per game).
• Will Allen, No. 2 in kickoff return TD (1).
• Cam Dillon, No. 5 in tackles for loss (2.0 per game).  
• Dante Miller, No. 8 in rushing yards per carry (6.85).
• Ernest Robertson, No. 10 in yards per reception (21.67).
• Dante Miller, No. 20 in rushing yards per game (90.8).
• Drew Schmid, No. 20 in punting (42.1).
• Ben Mathiasmeier, No. 21 in interceptions per game (0.5).
• Ben Mathiasmeier, No. 24 in passes defended (1.2).

 
COLUMBIA IN IVY LEAGUE STATS
 
Several Columbia Lions are ranked among the top-5 Ivy League leaders in several statistical categories:

• Cam Dillon, No. 1 in sacks (1.75).
• Alex Felkins, No. 1 in PAT kicking (12-12).
• Cam Dillon, No. 2 in tackles for loss (1.75).
• Dante Miller, No. 2 in rushing (89.5).
• Drew Schmid, No. 2 in punting (42.1).
• Alex Felkins, No. 3 in kick scoring (6.8).
• Alex Felkins, No. 3 in field goals (1.25).
• Ben Mathiasmeier, No. 3 in interceptions (0.50).
• Alex Felkins, No. 5 in scoring (6.8).

 
RECAPPING SATURDAY'S 22-20 WIN AT CCSU
 
Following are some notes from Saturday's final non-conference game at CCSU:

• The win improved Columbia to 3-1 on the year.
• It also gave Columbia a 3-0 non-conference record. The Lions won all three of their non-conference games for the third time in the last four years.
• The win also gave Columbia its 11th non-conference victory in its last 13 games and its seventh victory over Northeast Conference opponents in its last eight matchups.
• Head Coach Al Bagnoli won his 260th career victory. Bagnoli entered the 2021 season as the second active winningest coach in all divisions. He is the nation's winningest active coach at the FCS level.
• Gave Bagnoli his second career win over Central Connecticut State, his alma mater.
• Columbia finished the day with a season-high 8.0 sacks, two shy of the school record of 10.0 sacks set on November 10, 2018 at Brown.
• Columbia finished the day with 338 yards of total offense (174 rushing/164 passing). In the first half alone, the Lions racked up 192 total offensive yards.
• Columbia threw its first interception of the year in the second quarter. It was the first interception thrown by Columbia in four games, 10 quarters and 99 total passes.
• Columbia registered a safety in the third quarter when Cam Dillon tackled the CCSU quarterback in the end zone in the third quarter. The play was setup by a 40-yard punt by Drew Schmid that was downed at the 1-yard line. It was the first time Columbia had a safety in 24 games and since Connor Heeb tackled the quarterback in the end zone at Cornell on Nov. 11, 2017.
• Senior Cam Dillon set the Columbia school game record for sacks with 5.5. The previous record was 3.0 held by five different players on seven different occasions (Josh Martin-2, Lou Miller-2, Hunter Little, Rashaan Curry, and Des Werthman). Dillon finished the day with eight total tackles, 5.5 sacks for 47 yards, 5.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a safety. He is the first player at Columbia to register a safety since Connor Heeb at Cornell on Nov. 11, 2017. His 5.5 tackles for loss also rank No. 2 on Columbia's all-time single-game tackles for loss list behind Mike Quarshie's school-record 8.0 TFL vs. Fordham on Sept. 16, 2004. His 47 yards from TFL set a new school record, surpassing the 41 yards by Quarshie in 2004.
• Senior running back Dante Miller rushed for a career-high 136 yards on 18 carries for a 7.55 average per carry. He scored on a 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The 65-yard run ranks as the 19th longest in school history. It is his second career 100-yard rushing day.
• Sophomore Gabriel Hollingsworth ran for his second career touchdown, a 1-yard run, in first quarter. He also ran for a 14-yard run in the second quarter, the longest run of his career. He finished the game with 30 rushing yards on 10 carries.
• Quarterback Joe Green threw for 164 yards in the game while completing 14 of 24 passes. At halftime, Green had completed 12 of 18 passes for 150 yards.
• Senior defensive lineman Paul Akere registered 1.0 sack for nine yards and four tackles on the day.
• Cameron Brown recovered the first fumble of his career.
• Senior Mike Roussos returned the second half kickoff 37 yards, his longest kick return of the season. He finished the day with 71 kickoff return yards on three attempts.
• Sophomore Reid Spachman registered his first career sack in the second quarter.
• Senior punter Drew Schmid kicked a 40-yard punt that pinned the Blue Devils back at their own 1-yard line in the third quarter. He placed three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line.
• Sophomore tight end Dominic Busby made a career-high two receptions for 11 yards.
• Defensive back Railan Peace made the first start of his career.
• Senior center Tyler Worrell started the game at center. He missed the previous two games.

 
ABOUT PENN
 
Penn enters Saturday's game after evening its overall record at 2-2 with a 20-0 shutout win over Lehigh at Franklin Field. The Quakers are searching for their first Ivy League win of the year after dropping their Ivy opener 31-7 at home vs. Dartmouth.
 
Penn is led by quarterback John Quinnelly, who has completed 51 of 90 passes for 699 yards and three touchdowns.
 
The Quaker running game is bolstered by Isaiah Malcome, who has gained 340 yards and scored two touchdowns on 56 carries (6.1 average) and Trey Flowers, who has 176 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries. Jonathan Mulatu has also gained 56 yards on 14 carries.
 
Quinnelly's prime targets are Ryan Cragun, who has 20 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown (15.4 average per catch) and Rory Starkey, Jr., who has 12 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Starkey has as 21.17 yards per catch average.
 
Penn's defense has yielded just 15.3 points and 263.0 offensive yards per game. The Quakers are led by Brian O'Neill, who has a team-best 24 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, Prince Emili, who has made 23 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and has five quarterback hurries, and Jaden Key, who has 21 tackles and three pass breakups.