NEW YORK — In a wild final two minutes, Dartmouth's Ryan Bloch hit a game-winning 32-yard field goal to give the Big Green a 27-24 victory over the Columbia football team on Homecoming. The Lions (3-3, 0-3) erased a 15-point deficit to tie the score in the second half and had a chance to take the lead with under a minute to go. However, a missed field goal late in the fourth quarter led to Dartmouth (2-5, 1-2) escaping with the win.
 
Miscues were an issue for both teams, who combined for nine fumbles and each team turned the ball over twice. The Big Green also blocked a punt in the endzone to lead to another seven points.
 
"It was a difficult game for us," Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football Al Bagnoli said. "We made enough mistakes on offense, defense and in the kicking game to keep them in the game. We caused more of our own issues than anything else. It's disappointing because the kids played hard. I thought (quarterback Caden Bell), in his first start, did a nice job running the offense."
 
Trailing 24-9 with 8:19 left in the third quarter, the Lions responded to bring the crowd of 11,023 to life. Columbia marched 75 yards in 15 plays, capped by a Ty'son Edwards one-yard rushing touchdown to start the rally. After the Big Green's unsportsmanlike conduct and offside penalties, the Lions opted to go for two, and Edwards trimmed the deficit to seven with 1:54 to go in the quarter.
 
Columbia started to use the aerial attack to key another scoring drive in the fourth quarter. A pair of pass interference penalties sent the Lions into Dartmouth territory, leading to a 14-yard touchdown reception by tight end Luke Painton in the back of the endzone to tie the score with 2:24 to go.
 
Justin Townsend put Columbia in prime position to take the lead moments later, coming up with a strip sack recovered by Reid Spachman on the Big Green 21. The Lions rushed the ball three times to set up a 29-yard field goal attempt, but the try hooked left to keep the score knotted at 24-24 with 1:11 to play.
 
Dartmouth quarterback Nick Howard marched his team down the field, going 4-for-4 with a couple of chunk plays to put Bloch in position to put the Big Green up for good with four seconds on the clock.
 
Ryan Young was named the John Toner Homecoming Player of the Game after rushing 21 times for 120 yards for his second 100-yard rushing game in the last three weeks. Bell finished 16-for-23 with 102 yards in the air. Scott Valentas led the defense with 10 tackles.
 
Late in the first quarter, the Big Green took advantage of a short field after a shanked punt and eventually scored on a Dylan Cadwallader pass to Jonny Barrett for a six-yard touchdown with 5:25 left in the period.
 
Young sparked Columbia's next drive, breaking through a pack of Dartmouth defenders for a 62-yard scamper to put the Lions back into the red zone. The possession stalled when a bad snap led to another fumble that Columbia recovered to set up a 31-yard field goal by Alex Felkins to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 3:15 remaining in the frame.
 
The Lions were able to capitalize on a miscue by the Big Green to start the second quarter when Cadwallader fumbled a snap, and Joshua Powell pounced on the ball to give Columbia the ball on the Dartmouth 33. The turnover led to another Felkins make from 34 yards out.
 
Another unforced error on a muffed punt gave Dartmouth another chance in the redzone, and seven plays later, the Big Green used some trickery to go up 14-6. Paxton Scott connected with Jarmone Southerland on a reverse pass for a five-yard touchdown with 4:17 before the half.
 
Columbia finished the half with momentum after executing a two-minute drill. Caden Bell came up with a few key scrambles to extend the drive, and a roughing the passer penalty put the ball on the Dartmouth 14 with time winding down. The Lions brought on Felkins again, who converted from 36 yards as time expired to make it 14-9 at the break.
 
Dartmouth tacked on a field goal in its opening drive of the third quarter, and a blocked punt in the endzone brought the Big Green advantage back to two scores less than halfway through the third.
 
Columbia finished with 240 yards total on the ground. Dartmouth's Scott led all players with 104 receiving yards on six catches to go with his touchdown pass.
 
Next up for the Lions is a nationally televised contest against Yale on Friday, October 28. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.gocolumbialions.com/tickets or calling 888-LIONS-11.
 
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
 
POSTGAME NOTES
- Young moved up to fourth on Columbia's career rushing list (1,631), passing Doug Jackson '76CC
- Felkins is now second on Columbia's career points by a kicker (156), moving past Luke Eddy '13CC (147)
- Townsend is up to 7.0 sacks for the year, putting him tied for sixth on the Lion's single-season list
- Young's 62-yard rush was the longest for a Columbia player this season
- Columbia celebrated the 75th Anniversary of its upset victory over Army in 1947 in between the first and second quarters. Bill Olson '49SEAS, one of two living members of that squad, was in attendance and received a commemorative football on the field