Columbia-Dartmouth: Keys to the Game
See you tomorrow in Hanover (CREDIT: IvyLeagueSports.com)
1) It sounds like a broken record, but the Lions need to stop the run if they want to win. Milan Williams could have a monster day and might run halfway to Montreal if Columbia doesn't stop him. And Big Green QB Tom Bennewitz could become a serious problem if he tries to run along the sidelines on third downs.
2) It also sounds like a broken record, but the Lions need to establish their own running game to keep the defense more honest.
3) The special teams need to make a contribution. Austin Knowlin has been super as a receiver, but isn't making much happening in the return game. There can be no more blocked FG's or kickoffs returned for TD's by the other team.
Obviously, Hormann and Knowlin need to keep producing, but we know that that alone won't even guarantee a close game. The three keys above are all the Lions need to push for.
Good Video
The new SideLion Report is available, and this time, my voice even made into some of the highlights! Enjoy!
posted by Jake @ 8:32:00 PM
30 comments
30 Comments:
It's Homecoming for Dartmouth and they are honoring Reggie Williams at halftime so this team will be fired up. We need to forget all that and execute. Not playing out of a hole is a must. Go Lions--get us in the Ivy W column...
What is up with the changes in the two deep? Gaston seems like he can be a force. Nico now a starter. Masorti is still a mystery.
What we need is some hitting! Some smashmouth, hit so hard you "knock their momma out" type of hitting. Decleaters. No one goes out of bounds without paying for it first kind of hitting. A couple of really big pops in the beginning of the game will excite and unite the Lions. I make a special request on the Spurs and the LBs to deliver a monster shot to the Dartmouth offense. Props on this board to the first player to get that done. Let's make that happen guys!!!!
This team did show any fire last week. What we need is Ferrari to get this team fired up!!!
In my distant playing days we were always told to make the guy playing across from you understand with the very first play from scrimmage that he was in for a long and miserable afternoon. Still good advice. I sometimes think we are too tentative, especially on the initial defensive series.
The Lions need a couple of "7's". With due respect to Rocholl's considerable skills, we should not be putting him in the position of "lifting his leg more than a chihuahua with a bladder infection"[quote: Dennis Miller]. Offense, let's get Rocholl some single points Saturday by scoring touchdowns.
btw...Dartmouth's field looks fit for pop warner team.
Wait, are you serious? Dartmouth's field looks great. Especially when compared to Columbia. There are plenty of insults to Dartmouth in the past 10 years, but that's just not one of them.
not sure what the buzz about Rochell is--mediocre kicker at best--last I checked 3 of 9 usually means you're benched. As I said weeks ago, he should focus on either punting or placekicking because he isn't distinguished in either this year...
stick a fork in it fellas. That was the worst team left on the schedule and we lost. Don't want to hear the woulda, coulda moral victory stuff. That was 15 years ag when competing in a game was good enough. Something needs to change because this program always circles back to where it began regardless of coaches and players.Beyond frustrating...
Score was 28-28, Lions had the ball ready to begin a gaming-winning drive. They fumble. Game over. Season over.
You're right. That was our last real chance to win this season.
Dartmouth isnt the worst left, I think theyre better than either Cornell or Brown or both. Columbia needs to get its act together. We are too good for this.
part od the CU football problem is seen in the responses of Oct20 4:29 and 4:34. These guys have given up already!!
CU spends the lowest amount of money on Athletics of all the Ivies. ( We also have the lowest alumni donations as well.)
There will be no improvement until that changes. GET ON BOARD AND WRITE A CHECK.
I saw some encouraging signs: all receivers did a good job catching the ball - we have multiple targets to defend. Pretty good job running the ball. Defense gave us chance to win at the end of game. Nice trick play end around for touchdown.
I remain optimistic about the upcoming games!
You have got to be kidding? Giving up on a coach after 1.5 years and a team which is just starting to gel? We are all frustrated, but either you are on board or not. We will be winning in the next few years so you might want to stick around a bit.
I sense that we are starting to become a team . My goal is to see that we are better at the end of the year, than at the beggining. (I see that is happening). McCleod (of Yale) hurt his big toe against Penn. Lets make sure we step on it when we are tackling him
This alum is positive also. Practically everyone will be back next year and Coach Wilson and his staff will be bringing in some impact players to help on both offense and defense. Let's just make certain we copy Fordham's recruiting tactics and recruit a couple of lightning quick running backs who are ready to play immediately, two outstanding quarterbacks, and several big, mean interior linemen. Incidentally, I'm not giving up on any of the remaining games. After all our offense scored 28 points against Dartmouth yesterday and we do have several, quick, talented players on defense, especially in the secondary.
I'm on the positive side. Don't forget this is a building proposition (not rebuilding 'cause there wasn't enough to build from). Gutierrez's emergence as a threat; Rangel's improved running; Hormann's continued return to form; some defensive improvement; and most of all the team's resilience -- all show progress. The lessons learned this year will pay off next year, when NW will finally have a veteran club. And Brown and Cornell both look beatable this year. Harvard and Yale, not so much -- but a few big plays on defense and offense and even they could be within reach. More and more, Columbia looks capable of making those big plays, either interceptions or big passes.
Btw, how did the new, big guy do at guard?
Anyone know if Jordan Davis got hurt yesterday?
Although the score didn't show it, we do have some talent and a lot of very good young players. We caught a few breaks last year with a different defensive look, but we are actually a better offensive team this year. We could have won the Princeton and Dartmouth games; I am not saying we should have, just that we could have. Only lousy effort was first half agianst Penn and Lafayette game.
I have written my share of checks. The problem historicall has been a terrible administration which couldn't care less about the College or athletics. Witness the disaffection in the generations from the mid-60s until recetnly. We had no sense of institutional self-respect. Our admissions policies encouraged the admission of two generations of Mark Rudd types who hated Columbia, plus a gutless administration which did things like permit GS to grow at the expense of the
college, refuse to play hardball with Barnard, not put money into undergraduate facilities,and sell off precious resources like part of Baker Field to build the Allen Pavilion. Is Bollinger any better? He seems to talk the talk, but will he walk the walk. Yes, we need money, but we also need a dedicated administration, a more supportive faculty, more student support, and alumni help in recruiting. I for one believe that all of this is possible. Sometimes it seems darkest before the dawn. We have talent; we are also very young. Who else is starting so many freshmen? To be sure, it isn't ideal, but it does offer promise for the future.
PS, what is going on with some of our young impact players like Masorti and Shalbrack?
I don't know about Wilson yet. Nobody does. It is too early to tell, but next year should tell a lot. If we can't beat anyone except a team like Marist next year that will talk volumes.
As for Bollinger, he's been here
much longer than Wilson and done much less for football. It's past time for him to step up.
Glad to hear some are still fans hopeful, I wish I was. Don't see much to be hopeful about when we manage to make two big errors that cost us the chance of winning the game in the last couple of minutes.
I'm assured it will raise a ruckus, but perhaps the Ivy League can consider some kind of waiver to get a true impact player on defense. & I honestly don't think this compromises our academic integrity in anyway. We need another Marcellus Wiley...
FYI, Masorti got dinged up the green game, was laying on the field for a while; walked off then returned to the game.
I am more concerned about the health and status of our only true Offen. threat, Mr. Knowlin.
"PS, what is going on with some of our young impact players like Masorti and Shalbrack?" Huh?
I don't know about this poster but a couple of things seem obvious to me. The other teams are watching film and they are choosing not to run or pass at Mitchell, Quinn and Shalbrack's side this year, about 30-40% of the time. I think Masorti is off to a good year. Give him a chance to play healthy. Look at Shalbrack's stats and see how he has been performing even under those circumstances. They are still good players and will do well in the upcoming weeks.
We need to shore-up the left side of our defensive line. Saturday was a step in the right direction.
The comments of the last contributor are fair. Folks wonder why Quinn, Mitchell and Shalbrack's contributions are sub par. Professionals watch tape from many games previous to the current game. It seems to me that it is tough to replicate last year's performance when they go to the right 25% of the time. There were no passes to the right the entire game unless Shalbrack was blitzing. No coverage!!! How does the competition know this unless signals are picked-up?
Quinn, Mitchell, Shalbrack are making tackles on plays going left.
Look at the film....check it out.
Teams run agains the youngsters. They might lead in tackles but are scoring easily.
I have to disagree with that, at least at the Penn game. They ran to Shalbracks side all day with huge success and after the first twenty minutes of play only tried the other side sparingly. I hate to disparage any player but he had a bad day that day no doubt, and was yanked several times and layed into by LF more than once. Maybe he is dinged up and not up to par, who really knows?
I saw Andy Shalbrack's game against Penn as well and I would say of all 14 games he has played in since he started at CU(he is only a sophomore), clearly it was not his best. The game before against Princeton with 11 tackles, 2 passes defended, a pick for a 56 yard TD and a fumble recovery wasn't too shabby. That said, however, don't judge him based on one game. As to why LF took him out, who knows? Ask the coach. I still think Shalbrack is a smart and tough player with a big upside in terms of potential and leadership capabilities.
Let's stay positive and let these young guys know we believe in their ability to turn our program around. If we don't panic and cause the administration and coaches to panic this thing will get righted in time.
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