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Columbia vs. Cornell
Columbia University Athletics / Josh Wang
22
Cornell COR 5-5 , 2-5
45
Winner Columbia COL 6-4 , 3-4
Cornell COR
5-5 , 2-5
22
Final
45
Columbia COL
6-4 , 3-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
COR Cornell 0 7 0 15 22
COL Columbia 7 7 14 17 45

Game Recap: Football |

Football Powers Past Cornell, 45-22, in Season Finale

The Lions earn senior day victory to retain Empire State Bowl

NEW YORK — The Columbia football team played its most complete game of the season to earn a 45-22 victory over Cornell to retain the Empire State Bowl trophy and send the 32-member senior class out in style. The Lions (6-4, 3-4) posted 397 yards of total offense to finish the 2022 campaign on a three-game winning streak.
 
Joey Giorgi racked up 91 rushing yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Senior Ryan Young found the endzone twice and finished with 104 all-purpose yards in his final game with Columbia.
 
The Lions took the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Caden Bell found Marcus Libman over the middle to convert on third down to put Columbia in the red zone. Giorgi got the next three carries and capped the 78-yard scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown.
 
A fourth down stop by the Columbia defense kept momentum on its side as they continued to pound the ball on the ground. The Lions handed it off 12 times on a 13-play, 62-yard drive punctuated by Ty'son Edwards' one-yard dive into the end zone to make it 14-0 with 8:38 left in the half.
 
Cornell answered with a long scoring drive, taking 7:19 off the clock to cut the deficit in half after Jameson Wang lofted one to Thomas Glover, who jumped over a defender for a 14-yard TD grab just before the intermission.
 
The Lions' first drive in the second half nearly mirrored its first of the game, using a 31-yard pickup from Bryson Canty to set up another score. This time it was Young who punched it in from two yards out to put Columbia back up by two scores with 11:46 remaining in the third.
 
With a big hit on the ensuing kickoff, Edwards set the tone as the defense came up with a stop to force a punt. Columbia was the beneficiary of a pair of pass interference calls to move the chains and Young's second TD of the game made it 28-7.
 
JJ Jenkins' opened a scoring frenzy in the fourth quarter, going over the top for a 31-yard touchdown catch to effectively put the game out of reach, despite Cornell (5-5, 2-5) posting a pair of scoring drives.
 
Fittingly, it was a senior who iced the game with under two minutes on the clock. Libman scooped up an onside kick try 48 yards for a touchdown to send his classmates off with a win.
 
Bell finished 11-for-17 for 231 yards in the air. Anthony Roussos led the defense with nine tackles.
 
Columbia's win also secured a winning record for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
 
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
 
POSTGAME NOTES
- Senior Alex Felkins set program records for most career PATs made and points by a placekicker in his Columbia finale. He finished 75 extra points and 183 points.
- Ryan Young also moved up Columbia's career list for rushing yards. He concludes his Columbia career with 1,749 yards, good for third all-time.
- The 45 points were the most the Lions have scored in an Ivy League game since 2000 (49 vs. Dartmouth)
 
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