NEW YORK – (RV) Columbia football will have its first road test of the season when it faces Georgetown on Saturday, September 28. The contest marks the annual Lou Little Cup game between the schools. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. at Cooper Field on ESPN+.
OPENING DRIVE
• The Lions opened the 2024 campaign with a statement 31-20 victory over then No. 14/18 Lafayette.
• Columbia was named Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week and is receiving votes in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll.
• Wideout Bryson Canty was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and defensive lineman Keller Patterson took Rookie of the Week honors in week one.
• Running back Joey Giorgi moved up to No. 10 on the Lions' all-time career rushing list (1,342 yards) after picking up 90 yards on 17 carries against Lafayette.
A COLUMBIA WIN WOULD...
• Give the Lions the Lou Little Trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
• Improve Columbia to 19-4 against non-conference opponents since 2016.
• Be the 47th win for the program against a Patriot League school.
LAFAYETTE LEFTOVERS
• Jon Poppe became the first Lions' head coach to earn a win in his debut since Norries Wilson in 2006.
• Bryson Canty recorded his first multi-touchdown game of his career and has caught a pass in 16 consecutive games he's played.
• Hayden McDonald recorded 10 tackles for the second time in his career.
• Quarterback Chase Goodwin made his first career start, completing 16-of-19 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
• Junior quarterback Cole Freeman also saw action and was 5-of-8 for 63 yards, adding two more scores in the win.
• Ethan Hebb's first career catch was a touchdown, which put the Lions ahead 24-12 in the third quarter. Hebb switched to wide receiver after playing two years as a defensive back.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Lions and Hoyas will meet for the 11th time on Saturday with Columbia holding a 7-3 lead in the series.
• Columbia has won four straight meetings between the schools.
LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
Columbia picked up a dominant 30-0 victory over the Hoyas last season at home. Carter McFadden racked up 108 all-purpose and averaged 30 yards on a pair of punt returns. Joey Giorgi finished with 120 yards on the ground for his third career 100-yard rushing performance.
The Hoyas were just 2-of-12 on third down and held to 121 yards of total offense and 19 rushing yards. Columbia posted 365 yards of total offense and was 4-of-5 in the red zone.
GEORGETOWN'S STATUS
• Georgetown is coming off a 26-14 defeat at the hands of Brown. The Hoyas have dropped two consecutive contests after starting the season 2-0.
• Rob Sgarlata is in his tenth season leading the Hoyas after playing and graduating from Georgetown in 1994. He has spent his entire coaching career on the hilltop.
• Naieem Kearney is tied for the Patriot League lead in rushing touchdowns (six).
• Georgetown's defense is leading the Patriot League with 15 sacks through four games, which is also third in the nation. David Ealey III and Cooper Blomstrom are 1-2 in the Patriot League in sacks with 3.5 and 3, respectively. Blomstrom's 7.5 TFLs tie him for third nationally.
• Georgetown's special teams lead the Patriot League with 361 kickoff return yards. Patrick Ryan is 4-for-4 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards. Mason Gudger is averaging 48.5 yards per kickoff return, with a long of 78 yards.
TAKING NOTICE
The Lions were selected as the Stats Perform National FCS Team of the Week and received votes in the latest edition of the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll on Monday, September 23. Columbia received 21 votes from selected media members, the most of the three Ivy League schools (Harvard—19, Yale—3) considered for rankings. It marks the first time the program has received votes in a poll since the 2017 season when it finished 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Ivy League.
STATEMENT WIN
Columbia's season-opening victory over No. 14/18 Lafayette was the first win over a ranked opponent since a 19-0 victory at Dartmouth in 2021. The win over the Leopards was the first ranked win for the program at home since a 16-13 victory over No. 23 Harvard in 2003, and the first win over an opponent in the top 15 since 1995 after the Lions defeated No. 13 Penn, 24-14.
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Columbia has won six of its last seven season openers, dating back to 2017 and are 3-0 when debuting at home in that span.
NON-CONFERENCE ROARING
Columbia has gone 18-4 in its last 22 non-conference games. The Lions have gone a perfect 3-0 four times in the previous six years and have not been under .500 against non-conference opponents since 2016.
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