Columbia
Princeton
Football Launches Into Ivy League Play Against Princeton Saturday
9/30/2026 3:00:00 PM | Football
The Lions and Tigers will face off Saturday at 12 p.m.
OPENING DRIVE
• The Lions won their second consecutive OT game after outlasting Georgetown, 20-17, on Saturday to retain the Lou Little Trophy for the second consecutive year.
• The contest marked the first time Columbia had played back-to-back overtime games since the NCAA instituted the extra session in 1996.
• Saturday marks the Ivy League opener for both programs.
• Griffin Johnson was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week, while Hugo Merry took Special Team Player of the Week honors.
A WIN WOULD...
• Improve the Lions to 3-0 for the first time since 2017.
• Get Columbia to 1-0 in Ivy League play for the second time in three years.
GEORGETOWN LEFTOVERS
• The Lions came back from a 17-10 deficit to force overtime against the Hoyas. Bryce Coleman caught a 2-yard touchdown pass to tie it up, and Hugo Merry converted a 25-yard field goal on the first possession of OT. Georgetown's 37-yard attempt went wide left to end the game.
• Griffin Johnson had 121 yards on the ground, and the Lions held the ball for 37:34, controlling the line of scrimmage.
• Hutch Crow had six catches for 83 yards, while tight end Braden Dougherty had a 16-yard TD grab in the first quarter. Chase Goodwin connected with seven different receivers and was the first Lion to throw 50 passes in a game since 2014.
• AJ George paced the defense with eight tackles. Owen Thomas assisted on two sacks.
PRINCETON'S STATUS
• Princeton enters the matchup 1-1 through its first two games of the season. The Tigers are averaging 18.0 points and 292.5 total yards per game.
• Princeton's offense is averaging 180.5 passing yards and 112.0 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Wyatt Becker has thrown for 301 yards while completing 54.8 percent of his passes. Ethan Clark leads the Tigers with 45.0 rushing yards per game, while Josh Smith is averaging 54.5 receiving yards per game.
• Princeton's defense is allowing just 10.5 points and 295.0 yards per game, including 136.0 passing yards and 159.0 rushing yards. Chase Christopher leads the Tigers with 9.5 tackles per game, while AJ Pigford is averaging 1.0 tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks per game. Princeton has also recorded three interceptions through its first two games.
• On special teams, Princeton is averaging 39.8 net punting yards and 24.0 yards per kickoff return. Kenny Jordan is averaging 24.0 yards per kickoff return, while Esteban Nunez Perez is 1-for-3 on field goal attempts. The Tigers have also allowed zero punt return yards through their first two games.
LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
Columbia built an early lead, but Princeton rallied with 17 unanswered points to earn a 17–10 win in a Friday night matchup at Powers Field. The Lions went in front on a 29-yard field goal from Hugo Merry and marched 89 yards to extend the margin to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Lions failed to score again.
A turnover deep in Columbia territory helped Princeton get on the board just before halftime, and the Tigers took the lead in the fourth quarter when Ethan Clark plowed into the end zone with 13:27 left. After a field goal extended the lead to seven, the Lions had one last try with 1:54 left. Quarterback Xander Menapace entered on Columbia's final drive and completed 6-of-8 passes to set up the Lions for a Hail Mary. With three seconds left, Menapace's deep shot toward Evans in the end zone was broken up by Princeton's Marco Scarano, sealing the Tigers' victory.
SERIES HISTORY
• Columbia and Princeton will meet for the 95th time Saturday. The Tigers have won 12 of the last 14 meetings.
• Columbia's 34-17 win at Wien Stadium in 2024 snapped a six-game losing streak at home.
COLUMBIA/PRINCETON CONNECTIONS
• Columbia wide receivers coach AJ Gallagher served on the Princeton staff from 2021-22 as an offensive line and wide receivers coach.
• Princeton head coach Bob Surace's daughter, Alison, was a four-year member of Columbia's lacrosse team and graduated in May 2026.
GRIFFIN ON THE GROUND
Senior running back Griffin Johnson is leading the Ivy League with 245 rushing yards through two games. He has recorded three consecutive 100-yard rushing games dating back to the end of last season, becoming the first Columbia running back to do so since Jonathan Reese in 200.
He closed 2025 with 203 yards in the season finale against Cornell, racked up 124 yards in Week 1 against Lafayette and added 121 more at Georgetown.
Johnson is 172 yards away from becoming the 25th Columbia running back to reach 1,000 career yards.
HOLD THE LINE
Columbia's offensive line has been a bright spot, even with three underclassmen at center and right tackle. The Lions lead the Ivy League in rushing yards per game (154.5) and are controlling the clock, holding the ball an average of 34:52, No. 3 in the FCS.
GREATEST SHOW ON BROADWAY
Columbia's offense has exploded early in the season, averaging 477 yards per game and 30.0 points. The Lions lead the Ivy League in total offense and are second in scoring. Columbia posted 524 yards of offense in its win over Lafayette, the fourth-highest single-game mark in program history. It was the team's first 500-yard performance since the Lions put up 515 yards against Brown in 2018.
NO FLY ZONE
Columbia's pass defense has been a strength thus far, and the Lions are holding opponents to 123.0 yards per game, which is second in FCS. The Lions also posted a pair of interceptions in Week 1 against Lafayette.
BE MERRY
In his three-plus seasons, kicker Hugo Merry ranks among Columbia's all-time leaders in field goals made (28 - third) and extra points made (61 - fourth). Merry set a program record by making 11 straight field goals, surpassing the old mark of eight, between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He also converted on 38 consecutive PATs from the end of 2023 until the Georgetown game last season, a new Columbia record.
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