Football Faces No. 9/13 Harvard Under the Lights Friday
11/5/2025 4:00:00 PM | Football
The Lions and Crimson will face off on ESPN2
OPENING DRIVE
• Columbia will return home for the first of two straight home games when it welcomes No. 9/13 Harvard to Kraft Field on Friday.
• Three of the Lions' last four opponents have been ranked or receiving votes in top-25 polls.
• Senior defensive end Justin Townsend is leading the Ivy League in tackles for loss (9.5).
• Friday night marks the fourth and final night game of the season for Columbia.
A WIN WOULD...
• Snap a five-game losing streak.
• Be Columbia's first Ivy League win of the season.
POSTGAME NOTES - YALE
• Yale broke open a tight contest with a pair of third-quarter scores to earn a 24-10 victory over the Columbia football team on Saturday.
• The Bulldogs recorded five sacks, while 10 penalties hampered the Lions in the defeat.
• Starting quarterback Chase Goodwin returned after missing the previous three games due to injury and completed 15-of-30 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown.
• Senior running back Lucas Bullock was the beneficiary of 78 of those yards through the air, highlighted by a 69-yard gain in the second quarter.
• Defensively, linebacker Terell Battle and defensive back Jeremiah Douglas had breakout games, tallying career-highs of 10 tackles.
• First-year wideout Elliot Cooper made his collegiate debut and had one catch for 34 yards.
• The Lions had 17 different players record at least one tackle in the game.
HARVARD'S STATUS
• Harvard is coming off a 31-10 victory over Dartmouth. Jaden Craig threw for four touchdowns and 322 yards, cementing himself as the Crimson's all-time leader in passing touchdowns. Harvard is currently ranked ninth in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
• Andrew Aurich is in his second season leading the Crimson. In his first season as head coach, Aurich helped lead Harvard to a share of the Ivy League title, marking the team's second consecutive league championship.
• The Crimson's 41.4 points per game and 468.9 yards per game are good enough for sixth and eighth in the nation, respectively. Jaden Craig leads the Ivy League in passing touchdowns (16) and passing efficiency (164.9). Jordan Harris leads the Ivy League in yards per carry (7.4), while Brady Blackburn leads in yards per catch (21.9).
• Harvard's defense is holding its opponents to under 260 yards per game. Sean Line leads the Crimson in total tackles (49) and solo tackles (23), while Alex DeGrieck leads in sacks (4) and tackles for loss (5.5).
• Kieran Corr is 9-for-11 in field goal attempts and a perfect 9-9 inside 40 yards.
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia and Harvard will meet for the 83rd time in a series that dates back to 1877. The Crimson is 65-16-1 all-time against the Lions.
Columbia has dropped two straight to Harvard after suffering a 26-6 defeat in Cambridge in 2024. The Lions will be looking for their first home victory against the Crimson since a 17-10 overtime win in 2019.
LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP
Columbia fell to an opportunistic Harvard squad. The Lions kept pace for much of the game but threw two interceptions and could not convert on fourth down on three occasions, which proved costly. Despite the struggles to find the endzone, the game was a two-possession game headed into the fourth before a pair of Crimson scores.
Senior wideout Marcus Libman posted five catches for 109 yards to lead all players. Defensively, the Lions were anchored by Charlie Newton, who tallied a career-high 14 tackles. Jack Smiechowski and Carter McCray added 10 tackles each.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Columbia will play four times on Friday nights this season. Only NIU and Ohio (five) have more non-Saturday games than Columbia among NCAA Division I programs in 2025. Following the season opener at Lafayette on September 19, the Lions will be featured three times on ESPNU in conference play (Oct. 3 at Princeton, Oct. 24 at Dartmouth and Nov. 7 vs. Harvard).
LIONS IN PRIMETIME
Columbia is 9-22 all-time when playing night games. On Fridays, Columbia is just 3-12.
COLUMBIA AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Lions are 6-66 against teams ranked in the top 25 all-time after falling to No. 7/8 Lehigh on October 11. Columbia went 1-2 against ranked foes last year, including a win over No. 14/18 Lafayette, 31-20, in its season opener.
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