Columbia University
Penn
(RV) Football Resumes Ivy Play at Penn Saturday
10/17/2024 2:00:00 PM | Football
The Lions head to Philadelphia as they look for a third straight win
OPENING DRIVE
• The Lions picked up their second straight victory after a 24-6 decision at Wagner to wrap up non-conference play.
• Columbia received six votes in the October 14 AFCA Coaches Poll.
• Columbia is leading the Ivy League in four offensive categories (total offense, rushing offense, third down conversions and red zone offense) and is among the national leaders in each statistic.
• Defensively, the Lions are at the top of the Ancient Eight in scoring defense (No. 6 in FCS), interceptions, and third down defense (No. 8 in FCS).
WAGNER LEFTOVERS
• Joey Giorgi became the first Columbia running back to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games since Dante Miller in 2021.
• Hugo Merry tied Columbia's record for most consecutive field goals made with his eighth straight make, matching the mark set by Oren Milstein in 2016.
• Jack Smiechowski led the Lions with seven tackles, including three for a loss in the win.
• The Lions rushed for over 200 yards for the third time this season, all victories.
A COLUMBIA WIN WOULD...
• Snap a 12-game losing streak at Franklin Field, which dates back to 1996.
• Improve Columbia to 2-0 in Ivy League play for the first time since 2017.
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia and Penn will meet for the 103rd time in a series that dates back to 1878. Penn leads the series, 77-24-1. The Lions will be in search of their first win at Franklin Field since 1996 and snap a 12-game losing streak in Philadelphia.
The schools have split the last six meetings going back to 2017.
A LOOK BACK...
In rainy conditions, Penn took a 20-17 victory over the Lions to spoil Columbia's homecoming game.
The Lions led 17-10 in the fourth quarter, but the Quakers tied things up at 17-17 with 9:44 left after a seven-play 75-yard drive resulted in the first career touchdown for Bisi Owens. Graham Gotlieb gave Penn a 20-17 lead, converting a 23-yard field goal with just 3:04 left to play. On the next drive, Columbia went three-and-out deep within its territory and was forced to punt it back to the Quakers. A first-down catch from Bisi Owens sealed the deal for Penn.
Anthony Roussos led the way for Columbia with 12 total tackles, with two for a loss. Rocco Milia posted an interception, and Joey Giorgi and Caden Bell each had rushing touchdowns
PENN'S STATUS
• Penn is coming off a 31-21 victory over Bucknell. The Quakers bounced back last week after dropping their Ivy League opener against Dartmouth.
• Ray Priore is in his ninth season leading the Quakers and is in his 37th season overall at Penn. Penn finished last season with a 6-4 record, going 3-4 in Ivy League Play.
• Malachi Hosley leads the Ivy League in rushing yards (535), yards per game (133.8), and rushing touchdowns (4). Jared Richardson is fifth in the Ivy League in receiving yards (269) and tied for third in receiving touchdowns (3).
• Kadari Machen is second in the Ivy League in total tackles (34), and John Lista is second in the Ivy League in tackles per game (9.0). David McMorris is tied for second in the Ivy League in total sacks (2).
•Penn's punting unit leads the Ivy League in average yards per punt (42.9) and touchbacks (2). The Quakers kickoff return unit also leads the Ivy league in both kickoff return yards (245) and yards per return (27.2).
LONG DRIVES
The Lions are racking up time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 31:58 per game. A key to that has been converting on third down, which Columbia is doing at a 50.9 percent clip, which leads the conference and No. 5 in FCS. Chase Goodwin has been effective in those spots, completing 16-of-23 passes (69.6 percent) on third down. All but three of those completions have resulted in a first down or touchdown.
Columbia ate up 38:17 of clock in the win over Princeton and have had three drives lasting longer than 6:00, all of which have led to scores. Columbia had a 98-yard scoring drive in the second quarter against Georgetown, capped by a 43-yard TD grab by Edan Stagg. It marked the longest drive yardage-wise for the program since a 99-yard possession against Princeton in 2016. It's the first time the Lions have ever had a drive of that distance and just the fifth one of 95+ yards for the program since 1946.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Columbia's defense has shown off its depth during another season where it has been among the best in the nation. The Lions have five different players with 20 or more tackles, seven with more than one tackle for a loss, five with sacks and five have forced at least one turnover.
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
