Saturday, October 3
New York, N.Y.
12:00 P.M.
Columbia
2-1 , 0-1
7
vs
35
Princeton
2-1 , 1-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Columbia | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Football Falls to Princeton In Ivy Opener
10/3/2026 3:39:00 PM | Football
The Lions surrender 28 unanswered points in defeat
NEW YORK — Penalties, failed fourth-down conversions and missed opportunities were the difference as Princeton defeated Columbia 35-7 Saturday afternoon at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium.
Big plays propelled Princeton (2-1, 1-0), none bigger than Kai Honda's 53-yard rushing touchdown just before halftime, which gave the Tigers a 21-7 advantage at the break. Honda capped his career day with four touchdowns and 219 rushing yards.
The Tigers had four scoring plays on the day that went for at least 40 yards. Two in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice.
Columbia (2-1, 0-1) got a solid day from Chase Goodwin, who became the 14th player in Columbia history to eclipse 3,000 career passing yards. Goodwin finished the day going 35-for-51 for 331 yards and a touchdown.
First-year wide receiver Bryce Colman led the Lions with seven catches, 89 yards and a touchdown. Griffin Johnson led the Lions with 63 yards on 15 attempts.
Columbia's opening drive was emblematic of the day. The Lions went on a lengthy 12-play drive and came away with nothing after being stopped on a fourth-and-one from the Princeton 21-yard line.
Columbia struggled on third and fourth downs, going 8-for-16 on third down and 0-for-4 on fourth down.
Princeton scored the game's opening points on its second drive. The seven-play drive was punctuated by a 40-yard touchdown from Honda.
Columbia got on the board early in the second quarter when Goodwin orchestrated a six-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle to a wide-open Coleman. It marked the third consecutive game he found the endzone.
The Tigers regained control, scoring two more times before the half to take a 21-7 lead into the intermission. The backbreaking play for the Lions came just before half. Columbia got a stop on third and medium, but on the ensuing fourth-down play the Lions lined up offside, giving Princeton a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Honda burst through the middle for his third score of the half.
In the second half, penalties stacked up against the Lions. Columbia was flagged six times for 55 yards after the break.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Princeton put the game away with a 70-yard touchdown run from Honda. On the next series, Ty Ciongoli found Aidan Besselman over the middle for a 55-yard catch-and-run to make it 35-7 in favor of the Tigers.
Columbia wraps up non-conference play when it heads to Marist for a Friday night matchup. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Poughkeepsie. Fans can catch the action on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE LIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on X, Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Big plays propelled Princeton (2-1, 1-0), none bigger than Kai Honda's 53-yard rushing touchdown just before halftime, which gave the Tigers a 21-7 advantage at the break. Honda capped his career day with four touchdowns and 219 rushing yards.
The Tigers had four scoring plays on the day that went for at least 40 yards. Two in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice.
Columbia (2-1, 0-1) got a solid day from Chase Goodwin, who became the 14th player in Columbia history to eclipse 3,000 career passing yards. Goodwin finished the day going 35-for-51 for 331 yards and a touchdown.
First-year wide receiver Bryce Colman led the Lions with seven catches, 89 yards and a touchdown. Griffin Johnson led the Lions with 63 yards on 15 attempts.
Columbia's opening drive was emblematic of the day. The Lions went on a lengthy 12-play drive and came away with nothing after being stopped on a fourth-and-one from the Princeton 21-yard line.
Columbia struggled on third and fourth downs, going 8-for-16 on third down and 0-for-4 on fourth down.
Princeton scored the game's opening points on its second drive. The seven-play drive was punctuated by a 40-yard touchdown from Honda.
Columbia got on the board early in the second quarter when Goodwin orchestrated a six-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle to a wide-open Coleman. It marked the third consecutive game he found the endzone.
The Tigers regained control, scoring two more times before the half to take a 21-7 lead into the intermission. The backbreaking play for the Lions came just before half. Columbia got a stop on third and medium, but on the ensuing fourth-down play the Lions lined up offside, giving Princeton a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Honda burst through the middle for his third score of the half.
In the second half, penalties stacked up against the Lions. Columbia was flagged six times for 55 yards after the break.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Princeton put the game away with a 70-yard touchdown run from Honda. On the next series, Ty Ciongoli found Aidan Besselman over the middle for a 55-yard catch-and-run to make it 35-7 in favor of the Tigers.
Columbia wraps up non-conference play when it heads to Marist for a Friday night matchup. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Poughkeepsie. Fans can catch the action on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE LIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on X, Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballTeam Stats
PRI
COL
Total Yards
379
422
Pass Yards
134
331
Rushing Yards
245
91
Penalty Yards
55
65
1st Downs
15
28
3rd Downs
4
8
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
20:21
39:39
1st Quarter
PRI 7, COL 0
PRI - Honda,Kai 40 yd run (Nunez Perez,Esteban kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:05
2nd Quarter
PRI 7, COL 7
COL - Coleman,Bryce 14 yd pass from Goodwin,Chase (Merry,Hugo kick) 6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 02:57
PRI 14, COL 7
PRI - Honda,Kai 7 yd run (Nunez Perez,Esteban kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:25
PRI 21, COL 7
PRI - Honda,Kai 53 yd run (Nunez Perez,Esteban kick), 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 02:38
4th Quarter
PRI 28, COL 7
PRI - Honda,Kai 70 yd run (Nunez Perez,Esteban kick), 2 plays, 82 yards, TOP 01:06
PRI 35, COL 7
PRI - Besselman,Aidan 55 yd pass from Ciongoli,Ty (Nunez Perez,Esteban kick) 3 plays, 59 yards, TOP 01:37
Game Leaders
CMP
35
TD
1
YDS
331
INT
1
Saturday, October 03
Saturday, October 03
Friday, October 02
Wednesday, September 30
