GAME SEVEN: KEY IVY LEAGUE ROAD CONTEST
COLUMBIA (5-1, 2-1 Ivy League) at YALE (3-3, 2-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, October 30, 2021 • Noon ET • Yale Bowl • New Haven, Conn.
 
THE FACTS
 
Television: ESPN+ (Play-by-Play: Ron Vaccaro; Analyst: Jack Siedlecki; Producer: Evan Ellis) | Watch Live on ESPN+
 
Columbia Online Radio: Audio-only broadcast (Alex Oberweger and Shawn FitzGerald '80CC) | Listen Live
 
Live Stats: www.yalebulldogs.com | Live Stats
 
Coaches: Columbia- Al Bagnoli, 7th year at Columbia (27-29), 39th year overall (262-127). Yale- Tony Reno, 9^th year at Yale (50-36), 9^th year overall (50-36).
 
Complete Game Notes: Click here.
 
Series: Columbia and Yale meet for the 99^th time since the series began in 1872. Yale holds a 74-22-2 advantage and has won three of the last 10 matchups. Columbia has claimed two of the last five meetings, including a 17-7 win at Yale in 2015 and a 17-10 win in New York in 2018.
 
GAME NOTES
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Columbia (5-1, 2-1 Ivy League) travels to New Haven, Conn. for a key Ivy League matchup against Yale (3-3, 2-1 Ivy League) on Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is slated for a Noon ET start in a contest televised on ESPN+. The two schools currently sit in a four-way tie for second place in the Ivy League with identical 2-1 records. Columbia and Yale meet for the 99th time and 77th consecutive season.
 
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES

• Riding a three-game win streak, two-game road win streak and coming off a 19-0 shutout victory at No. 25 Dartmouth, Columbia enters its seventh game of the 2021 season with a 5-1 record for the second time in the last four years. It ties for the seventh-best start to a season in school history.
• At 2-1, Columbia is in a four-way tie for second place in the Ivy League standings.
• East Haven native and Columbia Head Coach Al 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 has a 262-127 overall record.

 
ABOUT THE LIONS
 
With four games to play, Columbia owns a 5-1 record (2-1 Ivy League) after winning three consecutive games and two consecutive road games following a 19-0 shutout win over previously unbeaten and No. 25 Dartmouth, a 23-14 Homecoming win over Penn, and a 22-20 win over at Central Connecticut State in its final non-conference matchup. The Lions are receiving votes in both national top-25 FCS polls (Stats Perform and AFCA).
 
Using a suffocating defense, efficient rushing attack and timely offensive drives, Columbia Football registered its first shutout in 112 games with a dominant 19-0 victory at No. 25 Dartmouth Friday night at Memorial Stadium. With a dominating first half, Columbia built a 13-0 halftime lead with two Alex Felkins field goals and a Gabriel Hollingsworth touchdown run. The Lions added a third quarter touchdown pass from Joe Green to Mike Roussos to go up 19-0 and seal the victory. Columbia's defense limited Dartmouth to season-lows for points (zero), total offense (262 yards), rushing yards (60), and first downs (13), and held Dartmouth to just 25 percent (4-16) on third down conversions. The Big Green came into the game averaging 32.4 points per game, 406.0 yards of total offense per game, 200.6 rushing yards per game and 21.6 total first downs per game.
 
Before 11,054 fans, Columbia celebrated its 80th Homecoming Game with a 23-14 win over Penn. Running back Dante Miller rushed for a career-best 187 yards and a go-ahead 75-yard touchdown to earn the John Toner Homecoming Player of the Game Award. Quarterback Joe Green threw for a career-high 182 yards and one touchdown on 12 of 22 completions, and Alex Felkins contributed a career-high tying three field goals in the victory. The Lions defense limited Penn to only 83 yards passing, 267 total yards, and yielded only 4-15 on third down conversions.
 
On Oct. 9, 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 win. 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 on the road.
 
Columbia went 3-0 in non-conference play with wins over Marist (37-14) and Georgetown (35-24).
 
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.
 
HOT STARTS
 
The 5-1 record ties for the seventh-best start in school history. With its 5-1 record, the last time Columbia began a year at 5-1 or better after six games was in 2017 (6-0). The Lions finished 8-2 in 2017. Prior to that year, the Lions went 6-0 to start the 1996 season and then the previous best start up until that point was a 6-0 start in 1945.
 
Overall, in the history of Columbia Football, the Lions have registered 15 seasons where they began a year with either a 5-1 or 6-0 record after six contests including 6-0 starts in 1903, 1904, 1932, 1945, 1996, and 2017.
 
LIONS ON THREE-GAME WIN STREAK
 
Columbia's current three-game win streak ranks as its longest since a seven-game win streak from the end of the 2016 season to Oct. 28, 2017. The school-record for most consecutive wins is eight, two times: Sept. 26, 1903-Oct. 31, 1903 and Oct. 28, 1933-Oct. 20, 1934.
 
LIONS ON TWO-GAME ROAD WIN STREAK
 
Columbia has won back-to-back road games for the first time since it won four straight road games from Nov. 19, 2016 to Oct. 28, 2017. The school-record for most consecutive road wins is four games.
 
JOE GREEN NAMED IVY LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
 
Sophomore quarterback Joe Green was named the Ivy League Football Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced Monday morning. He is Columbia's fourth player this season to earn an Ivy League Football weekly honor following Cam Dillon (Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 11), Ben Mathiasmeier (Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 27), and Alex Felkins (Special Teams Player of the Week, Sept. 20).
 
In Columbia's 19-0 shutout win at No. 25 Dartmouth on Friday, Green threw for one touchdown and 98 yards while completing 14 of his 22 pass attempts. He connected with Mike Roussos for a 25-yard touchdown pass to give the Lions a 19-0 lead in the third quarter. Green also ran for 19 yards on seven carries, including a key five-yard gain on a fourth-down-and-four play that helped Columbia take an early 3-0 lead. He also completed a fourth down pass in the third quarter that led to his touchdown pass.
 
A Sammamish, Wash. native, Skyline High School graduate and San Diego State transfer, Green has thrown for 895 yards, four touchdowns, and completed 61.7 percent (87 of 147) of his passes in six starts. He is also averaging 149.2 yards passing per game and has thrown only one interception in 147 passes. He leads the Lions with 908 total yards and 151.3 total yards per game.
 
DANTE MILLER LEADS IVY LEAGUE, RANKS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN RUSHING
 
With 608 yards rushing and a 6.47 yards per carry average, senior Dante Miller leads the Ivy League in both total rushing yards and average yards per carry. He ranks second in rushing yards per game at 101.3. In national statistics, he ranks No. 10 in both rushing yards per game (101.3) and rushing yards per carry (6.47) and No. 23 in rushing yards (608).
 
In previous back-to-back wins at CCSU and Penn, Miller accumulated 323 rushing yards and two touchdowns (75 yard TD, 65-yard TD) on 23 attempts for a phenomenal a 9.5 yards per carry average. The 323-yards in two games ranks as the third-best total for rushing yards in consecutive games ever at Columbia. The two-game stretch is the first-back-to-back 100-yard rushing performance in 26 games for Columbia.
 
His 187 yards vs. Penn ranks tied for the 11th highest single-game total in school history and his 11.7 yards per carry ranks as the eighth-best game mark in school history.
 
Miller has flair and speed for the big play as he has run for plays of 75 yards, 65 yards, 63 yards and 41 yards on the year.
 
The last time Columbia had a player lead the Ivy League in rushing was Cameron Molina in 2015.
 
LIONS SPORT TOP RUSHING ATTACK
 
Through six games, Columbia has rushed for 185.0 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. Eleven of Columbia's 16 touchdowns on the year are rushing scores with six players contributing at least one touchdown.
 
In school records, the 185.0 yards per game would rank as the fifth-highest rushing total in school history and the 4.6 yards per carry would establish a new single-season school-record.
 
The Lions have rushed for 200 or more yards in three of six games this year with a team season-high of 311 yards in the season-opener vs. Marist.
 
DEFENSE WINS GAMES
 
All year long, Columbia has displayed a stingy defense as it ranks among the top-25 FCS statistical leaders in eight statistical categories. Columbia has yielded only 102.5 yards rushing per game, 2.9 yards rushing per carry,  211.8 yards passing per game, and 314.3 total offensive yards per game (4.4 average yards per play). All totals would rank among the school's top four totals in those respective categories.
 
Other key numbers on defense through six games include 18 sacks, 40 tackles for loss and 32 pass breakups. Opponents are converting only 36 percent (35-97) of third downs against the Lions and a dismal 25 percent (5-20 on fourth downs).
 
DEFENSE PITCHING A SHUTOUT
 
Currently, Columbia's defense has totaled six consecutive quarters of shutout football dating back to halftime of the Penn game. The Lions shutout Penn for the second half of the game and blanked Dartmouth for four straight quarters. Dartmouth had posted only two scoreless quarters through its first five games.
 
During that six-quarter span, Columbia has allowed zero points, 2.86 yards per rush (37-106), 4.1 yards per pass (243 yards, 59 passes), 3.64 yards per play (96-349), 17 first downs. In addition, opponents have converted just 17 percent (4-23) of their third downs, zero percent of their fourth downs (0-5) and completed just 45 percent (27-59) of their passes. The Lions have garnered just one turnover during that span (an interception at Dartmouth).
 
COLUMBIA, LIONS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
Through six games, Columbia is ranked among the nation's top-25 FCS teams in 13 different team statistical categories:

• No. 1 in passes had intercepted (1).
• No. 3 in turnovers lost (4).
• No. 6 in fourth down conversion percentage (81.8).
• No. 6 in kickoff returns (26.36).
• No. 8 in fourth down conversion percentage defense (25%).
• No. 12 in scoring defense (16.0).
• No. 12 in passing efficiency defense (105.84).
• No. 13 in rushing defense (102.3).
• No. 13 in first downs defense (105).
• No. 14 in sacks (3.00).
• No. 16 in winning percentage (83%).
• No. 19 in sacks allowed (1.17).
• No. 22 in total defense (314.5).

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

• Will Allen, No. 3 in kickoff return touchdowns (1).
• Cam Dillon, No. 9 in sacks (1.17).
• Alex Felkins, No. 9 in field goal per game (1.67).
• Dante Miller, No. 10 in rushing yards per carry (6.47).
• Dante Miller, No. 10 in rushing yards per game (101.3).
• Ben Mathiasmeier, No. 12 in interceptions per game (0.5).
• Bryan Bell-Anderson, No. 17 in passes defended (1.2).
• Dante Miller, No. 23 in rushing yards (608).
• Cam Dillon, No. 23 in total tackles for loss (1.3).

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

• Will Allen: No. 1 in kickoff return touchdowns (1); No. 4 in passes defended (1.0); No. 5 in combined kickoff returns (167.
• Bryan Bell-Anderson: No. 1 in passes defended (1.2).
• Cam Dillon, No. 2 in sacks (1.17); No. 3 in tackles for loss (1.3).
• Alex Felkins: No. 2 in field goals per game (1.67); No. 4 in field goal percentage (62.5).
• Joe Green: No. 4 in passing efficiency (123.0); No. 4 in completion percentage (61.7); No. 5 in completions per game (14.5).
• Ben Mathiasmeier: No. 2 in interceptions per game (0.5); No. 4 in passes defended (1.0).
• Dante Miller: No. 1 in rushing yards per carry (6.47); No. 1 in rushing yards (608); No. 2 in rushing yards per game (101.3); No. 2 in all-purpose yards (110.0).
• Drew Schmid, No. 2 in punting (41.0).