McLeod Milestones
Stop that Man! (CREDIT: Yale Athletics)
*UPDATE* The gambling sites have annointed Yale a whopping 30-point favorite over the Lions this Saturday.
Yale superstar Mike McLeod is close to breaking a number of rushing records, and if he has an extraordinary day against the Lions, he could shatter them all on Saturday:
1) McLeod needs 300 yards to surpass Rich Diana's single season Yale rushing record of 1,442 yards, (probably won't happen).
2) He needs 199 yards to break Roger Carr's career Yale rushing record, (could happen).
3) He needs six TD's to tie Ed Marinaro's single-season Ivy record of 24, (probably won't happen).
The way Columbia has defended, or I should say: failed to defend the run this season, it's very probable that McLeod will make a significant dent in the distance between him and those three records above. Unless the Lions can figure out a way to contain him.
Penn proved last weekend that you don't need to completely shut McLeod down to have a chance to win. The Quakers gave up 147 yards rushing to McLeod, but they had every opportunity to win the game they eventually lost in triple-OT.
Realignment?
Columbia did indeed play a four-man front through much of the Dartmouth game on Saturday. But instead of bringing in a fourth pure defensive lineman, Drew Quinn often lined up to the left side. This week's two-deep says Phil Mitchell will be starting at nose tackle, and he did play at NT during much of the game in Hanover, but the two-deep has been wholly unreliable this season. As Jerry Recco and I mentioned on the air, two or three of Columbia's STARTING PLAYERS, were not even listed in the two-deep at all last week. The lack of solid information doesn't make me angry, as I am still used to no information from the days before the Internet, but it can be confusing.
The big deal in this game against Yale is the upset factor. The Elis will likely be favored by 20 points or so, and that should motivate this Lion team that was insulted on the field by Yale last year.
60 years ago this week, Columbia shocked Army in one of the biggest upsets in college football history. How sweet it would be to mark the anniversary with another huge upset!
posted by Jake @ 2:38:00 AM
17 comments
17 Comments:
I think Mitchell will be an outstanding def. end but with his height I don't know if he has the kind of base you want for your nose. The nose more typically is stouter and has a low center of gravity which makes him hard to root out of position.
I'll take the bait and say that Columbia Football Fans have zero interest in McLeod's statistics given what happened at the Columbia-Yale game last year. Certainly, Columbia knows that McLeod and his coach love to embarrass the opposition so I really hope that the Lions are ready to play their best football of the year on Saturday and that a large group of Columbia Football Fans will be there to support them.
Jake is a creep and McLeod is a knucklehead. Their performance in a tough, hard fought game last year was disgraceful. I hope our guys are fired up and plant McLeod. As far as Mitchell, if we line up with 4 down linemen he can play inside. And Jake, I really don't know why you are bestowing all this praise on McLeod. He showed zero class last year with his bonehead somersault.
To the last poster...nice attitude.
Didn't think we permitted that kind of behavior on this site.
Jake was pointing out how tall an order we are facing on Saturday. This kid McLeod is likely the Bushnell Cup winner....
The only team I like less than Yale is Penn. The 3 OTs last weekend was a good start; too bad they couldn't have gone 4 and ended in a tie. In any event, I would like to propose that the coaches consider tailing McLeod with one of our best and fastest and hardest hitting LBs; just go wherever McLeod goes on every play. Yale threw three ITs last week, and our DBs are really good. So let's see if we can force them to pass.
Jake, football more than any other sport is a game of emotion. Although I hung 'em up many years ago, I can tell you that playing with passion and intensity is enormously important. Often the problem with a young team is in getting them to channel that passion and emotion. I for one couldn't care less about McLeod, or Yale's record to date. We aren't palying Ohio State. The second half of the Penn game is what I am getting at. We imploded during the second quarter, handed the game away because we amde a few mistakes and lost our confidence, and only when the game was out of reach did we settle down and play to our ability. So the key on Saturday is to disregard Yale's record to date. This is still a game of blocking and tackling. If we block and tackle, if we play with passion and confidence and energy, we can beat those guys, ruin their season, and make ours. So let's allget out there on Saturday and scream our lungs out.
Jake,
Was that a typo re Yale rushing records? You said Diana had the single-season Yale record and it was more yardage than Carr's CAREER
Yale record. That's impossible.
I played on the 84 team that stuck it to Yale in the Yale Bowl on their way to an 0-10 season. No fonder memory then shaking that fool Carma Cozza's hand coming off the field and seeing the look of distraught in his eye. Let's see if we can catch Yale offguard and at least put a scare in to them--crazier things have happened. Go Lions!!!!
I can feel everbodys pain about Columbia football. I played for and had many ties after playing, for a very mediocre Big 10 team about 25 years ago-bottom dwellars in the conference for 30 years previously. They have since turned around their program and are now considered a premiere football program --great attendance, good recruiting, national recognition, yearly bowl games, etc. It didnt happen overnight, but took about 5-10 years of luck, getting a dedicated chancellor and administration, a competent Athletic Director and coaching staff. Then it all had enough momentum...I see some similarities here with Columbias program...the pieces are fitting into place, and although I dont understand all the machinations of IVY football and Columbia politics, the long term outlook is promising for the football program. The momentum is clearly building, so have patience, but hold the administration and coaching staffs' feet to the fire, and continue to support the team.
great to read sp many encouraging posts. we have some outstanding young talent and a great staff; let's turn out on Saturday!
Well, I'm impressed, no matter how many ties his team played for, that a poster played for a Big Ten school back in the day. I mean, it was the Big Ten, folks!
And I take comfort from his wise remarks and attempt at solace for us Lions loyalists. But also (maybe even a little bit more) from the nyah-nyah spirit expressed by the guy who helped defeat Yale on its way to an 0-10 season!
Today seems better already.
rs
RS....I am glad to make your day better. I only remember that game vividly because little did I know as a starting sophomore that would be the last W I experienced in a CU uniform( i did have a couple ties). It was also made sweeter because I also had the pleasure to tell Yale to stick it when I was accepted there because Cozza was perhaps the biggest blowhard i had ever met to that point.
Even if you are a naysayer, and even if you think our chances against Yale are slim and even if you hate the rain and you are still frustrated about Dartmouth...isn't the thought of winning against Yale enough to bring you out to the game Sat? Come all...because if they beat Yale, and you are doing laundry or running to the hardware store or any other typical Saturday afternoon activity, you will be very, very, very sorry.
GO LIONS..BEAT YALE!!!
That victory over Yale was not 1984 but rather 1983. It was the last win before streak began.
A 1-7-2 Columbia team 'stuck it to' a 1-9 Yale team 21-18
A little (and very mild) forgetfulness about dates and even season records is understandable, and it is certainly acceptable when the topic is a defeat of Yale. Really, now......
rs
correct indeed..it was 83 season/Wit,Regg and Lewis graduated 84..and as I alluded to it was the start of the streak. A win is a win my friend. I never used the term "routed or blowout". Who did Yale beat that year? thought they went 0-10 but guess I'm wrong on that too...
Post a Comment
<< Home