Columbia
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Dartmouth
10/21/2026 1:30:00 PM | Football
The Lions and Big Green will face off Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
OPENING DRIVE
• The Lions return home for the first of two consecutive home games when Dartmouth comes to the Big Apple for Columbia's annual Homecoming game.
• Columbia came back from a 17-point deficit to earn a 28-27 victory at Penn last Friday.
• First-year wide receiver Bryce Coleman was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week and third time this season. On Wednesday, Stats Perform also named him to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List.
• Sophomore MD Awe leads the nation with 2.0 passes defended per game and was named to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-America Fourth Team.
• AJ George was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
A WIN WOULD...
• Break a four-game losing streak on Homecoming.
• Snap a four-game losing streak against the Big Green.
• Be the first victory over Dartmouth at home since 2016.
PENN LEFTOVERS
• Columbia held the Quakers to just 72 rushing yards, the lowest total for the Lions' defense this season.
• The Lions picked off four passes, which led to 14 points in the victory.
• AJ George led the defense with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.
• Senior linebacker and co-captain Charlie Newton made his season debut after missing the first four games of the season due to injury.
LIONS ON HOMECOMING
Saturday marks the 85th edition of Columbia Homecoming. The Lions are 26-57-1 overall and 14-28 at Wien Stadium. The Quakers are the Lions' most common Homecoming opponent with 21 prior matchups. Columbia has drawn over 10,000 fans in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
JOHN TONER PLAYER OF THE GAME
Since 2009, Columbia has awarded the John Toner Homecoming Player of the Game. Toner was a former assistant coach under Aldo "Buff" Donelli, who led the Lions to the 1961 Ivy League title. Last season, quarterback Caleb Sanchez earned the honor, going 26 of 46 for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
DARTMOUTH'S STATUS
• Dartmouth enters the matchup 2-3 through its first five games of the season. The Big Green averages 19.2 points and 307.4 total yards per game, ranking eighth in the Ivy League in both categories.
• Dartmouth's offense is averaging 176.0 passing yards and 131.4 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Grayson Saunier has thrown for 779 yards and five touchdowns, while Myles Craddock leads the rushing attack with 375 yards and three touchdowns. Ky'dric Fisher leads the receiving corps with 53.2 yards per game and three touchdowns.
• Dartmouth's defense is allowing 22.8 points and 404.8 yards per game, ranking eighth in the Ivy League in total defense. The Big Green is allowing 219.8 passing yards and 185.0 rushing yards per game. Harrison Keith leads the team with 9.6 tackles per game, followed by Steve Simpkins Jr. with 9.4.
• On special teams, Luke Armistead leads the Ivy League and ranks sixth nationally with 45.7 yards per punt. Owen Zalc has converted 44.4% of his field goal attempts, while Dartmouth ranks second in the conference with 25.0 yards per kickoff return.
LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
Dartmouth used big plays and capitalized on several Columbia miscues to win 49-3 in a Friday night matchup. Big Green quarterback Grayson Saunier went 12-of-13 for 162 yards, rushed for 55 yards and had four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) in the win.
Columbia was putting together a strong opening drive until Matisse Weaver picked off a pass and returned it 63 yards to put Dartmouth in front with 11:32 left in the opening frame and led 35-0 at the break. Dartmouth tacked on two more touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Lions' offense could not get anything going. Columbia broke up the shutout bid with a 26-yard field goal by Hugo Merry with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter.
The Lions posted a season-high 156 rushing yards. First-year Michael Walters had a career-best 86 yards in 19 attempts, and junior Griffin Johnson rushed 12 times for 64 yards. Dartmouth running back D.J. Crowther added 106 yards on 18 carries.
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday marks the 95th meeting between Columbia and Dartmouth all-time. The series started in 1899 with a 22-0 Columbia win.
• The Big Green lead the series 74-20 after a 49-3 loss at Buddy Teevens Stadium in 2025.
•Saturday will be the 46th game of the series played in New York City.
COLUMBIA/DARTMOUTH CONNECTIONS
Dartmouth wide receivers coach Todd Gilcrist served in the same role at Columbia from 2015-19 under Al Bagnoli.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Lions have had to come back in three of their four victories this season, all on the road.
• Columbia trailed 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter at Georgetown and tied the game early in the final frame before Hugo Merry knocked in a 25-yard field goal to win it in overtime.
• Columbia scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase a 28-21 deficit at Marist.
• Trailing 24-7 in the second quarter at Penn, the Lions used two scores before the half to spark a rally and went ahead with 6:41 left in regulation to cap the comeback in a 28-27 win.
CHASE IS ON THE CASE
Senior Chase Goodwin leads the Ivy League in passing yards (1,489), a career high and completions (122). His 297.8 yards per game are No. 2 in the FCS, while his 24.4 completions per game are also No. 4 nationally.
He has thrown for over 300 yards twice this year, including 25-of-39 for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns in Columbia's win over Lafayette. Goodwin's 35 completions were the most for a Columbia quarterback since Craig Hormann in 2007.
Goodwin is in eighth place with 26 career passing touchdowns after three last week at Penn. He also ranks fourth in career completion percentage (58.0 percent), No. 10 in passing yards (3,645) and No. 11 in completions (311). He is just the 14th Lions quarterback to eclipse 3,000 career yards.
He has started 17 games over the past three seasons and also saw action in five games in 2023, serving as the Lions' short-yardage QB.
INSTANT IMPACT
Wide receiver Bryce Coleman was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, which Stats Perform gives to the most outstanding freshman in NCAA FCS. He has also been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times.
• Coleman leads the team with 453 receiving yards, which is second in the Ivy League. His 90.6 per game is No. 8 in FCS.
• His eight touchdowns rank No. 4 in the nation and are a Columbia first-year record.
• The Los Angeles native is just the third player in program history to have a receiving TD in five consecutive games (Josh Wainwright from 2016-17 and Bill Reggio in 1982).
IN AWE
Sophomore cornerback MD Awe was named to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-America Fourth Team on October 16. Awe has nine pass breakups, an interception and 17 tackles.
GIMME THAT
Columbia has forced six turnovers in the last two games after going two weeks without any. Against Marist, the Lions had two strip sacks. Jonah Walker posted his first career sack, which was returned 44 yards for a touchdown, and Julius Patton forced a turnover, recovered it and led to the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Lions followed that up with four interceptions, which led to 14 points in the win at Penn. Columbia has posted two takeaways in three games this season.
BY GEORGE
Senior AJ George has stepped into a starting linebacker role for the Lions and leads the squad with 32 tackles, including four for a loss. In the win over Penn, he posted a team-high eight tackles, a sack and an interception to earn Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors. He has takeaways in two consecutive games after recovering a fumble and taking it 44 yards for a touchdown at Marist.
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