NEW YORK – Columbia football will look to get back on track in its home opener this Saturday when the Lions take on Georgetown for the Lou Little Trophy at Robert K. Kraft Field at Wien Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. on ESPN+ with Lance Medow and Shawn FitzGerald '80CC on the call.
OPENING DRIVE
• Columbia will unveil its 2024 Ivy League Championship banner prior to its home opener against Georgetown on Saturday.
• The Lions dropped their season opener at Lafayette, 38-14, in Easton, Pennsylvania, last Friday.
• Columbia has won three consecutive home openers and six of its last seven, dating back to the 2017 season.
A WIN WOULD...
• Make the Lions 6-4 in Lou Little Trophy games.
• Give Columbia its fourth straight win in a home opener
POSTGAME NOTES - LAFAYETTE
• Columbia allowed 30+ points for the first time since Nov. 4, 2023, against Harvard (38).
• Hugo Merry set a new program record after converting his 36th consecutive PAT in the first quarter. He is up to 37 consecutive makes after making another try in the game.
• Sophomore Hutch Crow notched his first career touchdown catch, a 17-yard grab in the first quarter.
• First-year running back Michael Walters led the offense with 63 rushing yards.
• Sophomore running back Griffin Johnson found the endzone for the second time in his career with a four-yard scamper in the second quarter.
• The Lions saw 16 student-athletes make their collegiate debuts in the contest.
GEORGETOWN'S STATUS
• Georgetown is coming off a 46-0 loss to Brown. Georgetown has dropped two consecutive contests to Lafayette and Brown after defeating Davidson and Wagner to begin the season.
• Rob Sgarlata is in his eleventh season leading the Hoyas. Georgetown finished last season at a 5-6 mark, going 2-4 in Patriot League play. The 2024 season was highlighted by the Hoyas' wins over Columbia and Lafayette in consecutive games.
• Georgetown's offense is averaging over four touchdowns a game, while racking up over 383 yards per game. Danny Lauter has thrown for 618 yards through four games, completing 61.2 percent of passes and throwing for five touchdowns. Savion Hart is tied for second in the Patriot League in rushing touchdowns (5) and is fourth in rushing yards (290). Jimmy Kibble is tied for fourth in receiving yards (317) and has two touchdowns.
• Georgetown's defense is allowing over four touchdowns per game and 400 yards of total offense. Georgetown is tied for second in the Patriot League in sacks (9), with Cooper Blomstrom recording two for 15 yards. Quincy Briggs is tied for the Patriot League lead in interceptions (3) while Michael Bonsu is tied for second in PBUs (3).
• Georgetown's special teams have scuffled a bit early. Thomas Anderson is 10-13 in PAT attempts and 3-5 in field goal attempts. Anderson is averaging about 60 yards per kick, while Josh Leff is averaging 36 yards per punt. Nicholas Dunneman has recorded one punt return for a touchdown.
LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
Georgetown's Nicholas Dunneman caught a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:10 remaining to give the Hoyas a 20-17 victory over Columbia to earn the Lou Little Trophy for the first time since 2019. The Hoyas trailed 14-0 in the second before outscoring the Lions, 20-3, the rest of the way.
Columbia was intercepted on the next possession on a tipped ball but did get one more chance to tie or take the lead with time winding down. Carter McFadden had a nice punt return negated by a penalty with 20 seconds on the clock. However, a 15-yard grab by Marcus Libman gave the Lions a shot to set up a hail mary attempt that was knocked away by the Hoyas as time expired.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Lions and Hoyas will meet for the 12th time on Saturday with Columbia holding a 7-4 lead in the series.
• Columbia has won four of the last five meetings between the schools.
LOU LITTLE TROPHY
Since 2015, Columbia and Georgetown have competed for the rights to the Lou Little Trophy. The Lions are 5-4 since the trophy's inception.
The trophy's namesake served as the head football coach at both institutions. Little coached at Georgetown from 1924 to 1930 and helped bring the Hoyas into the modern era, recording a 41-12-13 record over six seasons while also serving as athletics director. His .759 winning percentage is still the highest among Georgetown head coaches who have coached more than 20 games. Little took over at Columbia in 1930 and continued his Hall of Fame career until 1956. At Columbia, he had 110 victories, and his most notable win came in the 1934 Rose Bowl when the Lions defeated Stanford 7-0. Overall, his teams went 149-122-11 at Columbia.
GIL-STRONG
Columbia's beloved Director of Football Sport Performance, Bob Gilmartin, passed away on March 9 after a long battle with illness. He began at Columbia in 2014 and touched the lives of thousands of student-athletes. Gilmartin was also instrumental in the transformation of the weight room at the Campbell Sports Center in 2024, and the head strength coach's office was dedicated in his name during a ceremony this past fall.
Gilmartin joined Columbia after two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Greg Schiano. Gilmartin previously spent 11 years with Schiano at Rutgers University, working as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football team and head strength coach for several other varsity programs.
Before Saturday's game against Georgetown, Gilmartin will be honored with a moment of silence.
In his honor, The Bob Gilmartin Cancer Foundation was created to carry forward his legacy — a legacy of toughness, compassion, and unyielding resolve. Through WeCancer, it aims to unite families, athletes, and communities in the fight against cancer by funding research, providing patient support, and creating opportunities for awareness and action. To donate, visit here.
TICKETS
Tickets start at just $13.
Click here to purchase game tickets or call 888-LIONS-11
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