GAME EIGHT: HEROES DAY
HARVARD (5-2, 2-2 Ivy League) at COLUMBIA (5-2, 2-2 Ivy League)
Saturday, November 6, 2021 • 1 p.m. ET • Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium • New York, N.Y.
 
THE FACTS
 
Television: ESPN+ (Lance Medow and Josh Martin '13CC; Producer: Sol Steinberg) | Watch Live
 
Columbia Online Radio: Not Available
 
Live Stats: www.gocolumbialions.com | Live Stats Link
 
Coaches: Columbia- Al Bagnoli, 7th year at Columbia (27-30), 39th year overall (262-128). Harvard- Tim Murphy, 27th year at Harvard (183-83), 34th year overall (215-128-1).
 
Complete Game Notes: Click here.
 
Series: Columbia and Harvard meet for the 79th time in series history. Harvard holds a 62-15-1 advantage. Columbia won the last meeting, a 17-10 overtime victory in New York on November 9, 2019.
 
GAME NOTES
 
NEW YORK—Columbia (5-2, 2-2 Ivy League) hosts Harvard (5-2, 2-2 Ivy League) for a key Ivy League matchup at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 6. Kickoff is slated for a 1 p.m. ET start for a contest televised on ESPN+. The two schools are tied for fourth place in the Ivy League standings with identical 2-2 records. Columbia and Harvard meet for the 79th time and 72nd consecutive season.
 
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES
 

• Columbia enters its eighth game with a 5-2 overall record. The Lions are 5-2 or better upon entering their eighth game of a season for the third time since 1972.
• With identical 2-2 records, Columbia and Harvard enter the game tied for fourth in the Ivy League standings.
• The matchup features the Ivy League's No. 1 rushing offense (Columbia) vs. No. 1 rushing defense (Harvard).
• 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 262-128 overall record.

 
WHERE TO LISTEN/WATCH
 
The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Josh Martin '13CC (color analyst) calling action. Sol Steinberg will handle production.
 
ABOUT THE LIONS
 
With three games to play, Columbia owns a 5-2 record (2-2 Ivy League) after winning three of its last four games following a 37-30 loss at Yale, 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.
 
Columbia dropped a closely-contested 37-30 decision at a rainy Yale Bowl last Saturday. The Lions led 23-14 before Yale scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions. The Lions totaled 344 offensive yards and won the turnover battle with two fumble recoveries, but had to settle for three field goals and scored touchdowns on two of their four trips into the red zone. For Columbia, Ryan Young scored a career-high three touchdowns and totaled a team-best 132 all-purpose yards, Joe Green completed 22 of 44 passes for a career-high 223 passing yards, Dante Miller finished with 85 all-purpose yards (35 rushing and 85 on kickoff returns) and Scott Valentas led the defense with 10 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss.
 
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.
 
WINNING SEASONS
 
Columbia is searching for its third winning season in the last four years. With three games to play and a 5-2 overall record, the Lions need just one more victory to clinch a winning season.
 
LIONS PUT TOGETHER THREE-GAME WIN STREAK
 
Columbia's previous 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.
 
JOE GREEN EARNS IVY LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK
 
For the second consecutive week, Columbia sophomore quarterback Joe Green was named the Ivy League Football Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced Monday morning.
 
Green becomes just the sixth player in school history to earn back-to-back weekly awards from the Ivy League. In addition, he is the first Columbia player to earn back-to-back Ivy League weekly honors this year and the first player since Mike Roussos to earn consecutive weekly honors (Nov. 19, 2018 and Sept. 23, 2019).
 
In Columbia's tightly-contested 37-30 loss at Yale on Saturday, Green threw for a career-high 223 yards and completed 22 of 44 passes.
 
A Sammamish, Wash. native, Skyline High School graduate, and San Diego State transfer, Green has thrown for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns while completing 58.9 percent (109 of 185) of his passes in seven starts. He has thrown just one interception in 185 pass attempts as Columbia leads the nation in fewest passes had intercepted (1). In Ivy League statistics, Green ranks No. 4 in completions per game (15.57), No. 4 in passing efficiency (115.7), No. 4 in yards per pass attempt (6.04), No. 5 in passing yards (1,118), No. 5 in passing yards per game (159.7), and No. 5 in passing yards per completion (10.26).
 
DANTE MILLER LEADS IVY LEAGUE, RANKS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN RUSHING
 
With 638 yards rushing on 105 carries, senior Dante Miller enters week eight as the Ivy League's leader in total rushing yards. He also ranks second in rushing yards per carry (6.1 yards per carry) and rushing yards per game (91.1). In national statistics, he ranks No. 18 in rushing yards per carry (6.12) and No. 21 in rushing yards per game (91.9).
 
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 ONE OF NATION'S TOP RUSHING ATTACKS
 
Through seven games, Columbia has rushed for and Ivy League-leading 175.9 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. Fourteen of Columbia's 19 touchdowns on the year are rushing scores with seven players contributing at least one touchdown.
 
In school records, the 175.9 yards per game would rank as the ninth-highest rushing total in school history and the 4.2 yards per carry would rank fourth in team season rushing records.
 
The Lions have rushed for 200 or more yards in three 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 five categories. Columbia has yielded only 108.0 yards rushing per game, 2.9 yards rushing per carry,  221.4 yards passing per game, and 329.6 total offensive yards per game (4.6 average yards per play). All totals would rank among the school's top seven totals in those respective categories.
 
Other key numbers on defense through six games include 21 sacks, 48 tackles for loss and 36 pass breakups. Opponents are converting only 39.6 percent (46-116) of third downs against the Lions and a dismal 27 percent (6-22 on fourth downs).
 
COLUMBIA, LIONS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
Through seven 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. 1 in blocked punts allowed (0).
• No. 2 in turnovers lost (4).
• No. 5 in fourth down conversion percentage (78%).
• No. 9 in fourth down conversion percentage defense (27%).
• No. 11 in first downs defense (123).
• No. 15 in sacks (3.00).
• No. 15 in rushing defense (108.0).
• No. 18 in fumbles lost (3).
• No. 21 in kickoff returns (23.16).
• No. 21 in sacks allowed (1.29).
• No. 21 in scoring defense (19.0).
• No. 21 in passing efficiency defense (113.83).

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

• Will Allen, No. 4 in kickoff return touchdowns (1).
• Alex Felkins, No. 7 in field goals per game (1.86).
• Cam Dillon, No. 10 in sacks (1.00).
• Dante Miller, No. 18 in rushing yards per carry (6.12).
• Ben Mathiasmeier, No. 19 in interceptions per game (0.4).
• Dante Miller, No. 21 in rushing yards per game (91.9).
• Alex Felkins, No. 23 in scoring (8.1).

 
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).
• Cam Dillon, No. 2 in sacks (1.00); No. 3 in tackles for loss (1.3).
• Alex Felkins: No. 1 in field goals per game (1.86); No. 3 in scoring (8.1); No. 4 in field goal percentage (65%).
• Joe Green: No. 4 in completion percentage (58.9); No. 4 in completions per game (15.57); No. 4 in passing efficiency (115.7); No. 4 in yards per pass attempt (6.04); No. 5 in passing yards (1,118); No. 5 in passing yards per game (159.7); No. 5 in passing yards per completion (10.26).
• Ben Mathiasmeier: No. 2 in interceptions per game (0.4).
• Dante Miller: No. 1 in rushing yards (643); No. 2 in rushing yards per carry (6.12); No. 2 in rushing yards per game (91.9); No. 3 in all-purpose yards per game (106.43).
• Drew Schmid: No. 2 in punting (40.5).