Football Jumps Back Into Ivy League Play at Penn Saturday
10/13/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
The Lions will make their first trip to Philadelphia since 2018
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. The Lions remain at the top of the nation in rushing defense, holding teams to 27.5 rushing yards per game over the first four games of the season.
2. Bryson Canty's highlight reel touchdown catch against Wagner was featured as the No. 1 play on the ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown "You Got Mossed" segment.
3. Joe Green sits fourth in the nation in competition percentage (71.8 percent).
4. Ryan Young rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown against Wagner, the first 100-yard rushing game in his career.
THE MATCHUP
For the 101st time, Columbia and Penn will meet on the gridiron when the Lions visit historic Franklin Field on Saturday, Oct. 15 for an Ivy League battle. The Lions enter the game with a two-game winning streak against the Quakers, having won the previous two match ups. Both of those games were played in New York City and this will be Columbia's first visit to Penn since 2018. A win for the Lions would be the first at Penn since 1996 when the Lions won 20-19 in overtime. The Quakers (4-0, 1-0) enter the game having won all four of their games, and in the last match up Penn knocked off Georgetown, 59-28. In Penn's lone Ivy League game of the season, they battled to a double-overtime win at Dartmouth, winning 23-17 on Sept. 13. This will be the first home game for the Quakers since Sept. 24 when they beat Lafayette, 12-0.
A FAMILIAR FACE
Saturday's matchup at Penn marks the seventh meeting between Patricia and Alexander Shepard Head Coach of Football Al 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, 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 3-3 with all three wins coming in New York.
PLUCKING THE SEAHAWKS
Columbia won its final non-conference game with a strong 21-point second half, winning 28-7 over Wagner on Oct. 8 in its previous game. During the game, Joe Green tossed three touchdowns on 188 yards passing, completing 15 of 21 passes. And on the ground, Ryan Young rumbled for 117 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, his first career 100-yard rushing game. As a team, the Lions held Wagner to 36 yards rushing, the third-straight game Columbia has held its opponent to under 50 yards rushing.
FEELING 100 YARDS YOUNG
Senior running back Ryan Young had his coming out party against Wagner (Oct. 8), rushing for 117 yards on 24 touches, scoring a three-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. What made the performance memorable was the 100 yards was the first time in his career that he had reached that mark in a game. The Lion running back had come close, coming within two yards when he ran for his previous career-high 98 yards at Saint Francis in 2019. Young became the second Lion this year to eclipse 100 yards on the ground.
"YOU GOT MOSSED" ... CANTY AND ESPN
Against Wagner, Columbia receiver Bryson Canty went up on a 36-yard pass from Joe Green, high pointing a touchdown that caught the attention of ESPN's Randy Moss. And on the "You Got Mossed" segment on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Canty's catch was voted as the number one play from the weekend, beating out Texas A&M's play that was voted second.
.@RandyMoss 🤝 @CantyBryson
— Columbia Football (@CULionsFB) October 9, 2022
- @espn Sunday NFL Countdown#YouGotMossed | #CUinNY | #OnlyHere | #RoarLionRoar pic.twitter.com/YH4iCh1LOK
LIONS TAKE IT AWAY
The Lions forced three turnovers against Wagner, intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble on a botched field goal attempt. It was the fourth-straight game this season and ninth-straight game going back to the 2021 season.
RUSH DEFENSE ROARS ... THE NATION HEARS IT
For the third time this season, and seventh time since 2015, the Lions held a team to under 50 yards of rushing, holding Wagner (Oct. 8) to just 36 yards of total rushing. The solid performances so far this season from the Columbia rushing defense has placed them first in the country in rushing yards allowed, allowing only 27.5 yards per game over the first four games.
NON-CONFERENCE ROARING
In impressive fashion, Columbia has won 14 of its last 16 non-conference games. The Lions completed their 2021 non-conference slate with a perfect 3-0 record for the third time in the last four years. A 24-10 loss to Georgetown on Sept. 28, 2019 ended Columbia's school-record non-conference win streak at eight games. The streak began at Wagner on Oct. 8, 2016. The record was four straight non-conference wins from Sept. 28, 1996-Oct. 4, 1997. 2021 marked the fifth time since Columbia joined the Ivy League that the Lions went undefeated during non-conference competition: 3-0 in 2021, 2018, 2017, 2006 and 1996.
Season four of the Columbia Football podcast returned this fall, featuring captains Mitch Moyer, Stew Newblatt, Scott Valentas and Ryan Young. The guys and co-hosts Aliyah Funschelle and Kyle Mattracion give fans an inside look at the program. New episodes premiere on Wednesdays on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Search for Columbia Athletics and subscribe today!
MUST SEE TV
Columbia has partnered with SportsNet NY (SNY) to televise two games, the Lions' home-opener against Princeton on October 1 and homecoming against Dartmouth on October 22. This is the fifth consecutive year Columbia will be featured on the regional sports leader. With a total distribution of nearly 11 million homes, SNY is available to viewers throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania for a regional reach of 8.0 million households. Combined with national coverage on DIRECTV, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-Verse, SNY's total distribution is 11 million homes. SNY is the official television home of the New York Mets, New York Jets, and all things New York sports. As New York's leader in local sports TV coverage, SNY delivers the most comprehensive access to all of the Tri-State area's professional and collegiate sports teams through several nightly sports and entertainment programs.
BUY TICKETS FOR UPCOMING HOME GAMES
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.gocolumbialions.com/tickets or calling 888-LIONS-11.
FOLLOW THE LIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
