Missed Opportunity
Nico had a big day (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics/Gene Boyers)
Dartmouth 37 Columbia 28
Why Dartmouth Won
They took advantage of their opportunities and didn't look Columbia's inability to stop the run in the mouth. Alex Jenny relieved starting QB Tom Bennewitz, and played error-free ball in a tough situation.
Why Columbia Lost
Turn the ball over twice in the last 1:40 and you won't win anything. Oh, and they had the same old problems against the run, even though Big Green starter Milan Williams did not play. I'm beginning to think anyone on two legs can expect a 100+ yard game against these Lions.
Key Turning Points
After getting an early turnover and turning that into a 7-0 lead, Columbia promptly allowed Dartmouth to march right back down the field to tie it as 7 and snatch the Lions' momentum away.
On 3rd and 1 at the start of the 2nd quarter, QB Craig Hormann and center Mike Partain screwed up the exchange and Dartmouth recovered the fumble. Six plays later it was 14-7 Big Green.
After taking the ball on their own 5 and getting a touchdown anyway on a dramatic 4th and 11 pass to Nico Gutierez, the Columbia defense looked like it would at least help preserve the 14-14 score into the half after it forced a 2nd and 23 at Dartmouth's own 11 yard line. But Nate Servis took it around the left end for 56 yards and 5 plays later it was 21-14 Dartmouth.
With the score tied at 28, the Lions had the ball on their own 20 with plenty of time to drive down the field for the win. Instead, Jamal Russell fumbled the ball away on the first play and Dartmouth scored the winning TD moments later.
Columbia Positives
Freshman Nico Gutierrez had a breakout game with 5 catches, almost all them spectacular, for 132 yards and a TD.
Ray Rangel had a solid second quarter, giving the Lions hope that they at least have another option in the running game.
Game MVP: Gutierrez
posted by Jake @ 7:13:00 AM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Our run defense has been absolutely awful all year. Yet no defensive adjustments are being made. Next week we have to stop MacLeod. What is the defensive plan? No running back has failed to look like an All American against us. Most of the yardage seems to be coming from one direction. So why can't the coaches come up with a scheme? Our offense is really quite a bit better than it was last year, despite some bonehead plays yesterday. But the run defense is just awful. And it never gets fixed. At some point the copaches have to ask themselves if their love affair with a defense which almost nobody else in college football is running can work.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that we run the real risk of a 1-9 season. One can only hope, then, that the young defenders who so easily cede yardage to the run this year will be both more experienced next as well as MUCH stingier on this point. One also hopes that recruiting will not be greatly adversely affected.
Still, it's not reason enough to stop writing checks nor to attend games. Even if this season's record so far surely scares away "casual" attendees at games.
And thank God for Marist.
RS
I think it is reason to write bigger checks! My question is why the defense is so completely inept against the run. We seem to have some good pass defenders and some good talent, but we can't control the line of scrimmage with a three man front. At this point in the season why not go to 8 men in the box, with more size at the point of atttack?
I worry about the negativity surrounding this program. I don't mean comments about a specific game or what might be needed in future games, or even about a specific player's performance...but the "throw in the towel", Columbia will never win attitude. I worry this team can't think of themselves as winners with all these dark clouds hanging around. Why is the season over? Why have we lost all of our games? Why should they believe when everyone knows the outcome?
good comment about believing in the team
I would like to see us take more chances on defense with more blitzes and movement. Good things seem to have happened in the past when we put a lot of pressure on the QB. It seems to me like we had more pre-snap movement by LB last year to confuse offense.
Everyone needs to relax. This is a marathon not a sprint. We are only in the second year in a multi-year effort to build a truly competitive football program. Coach Wilson and his staff have only recruited one class where they participated in the process from start to finish. There is a lot of talent in the first year group (look how many are starting or playing regularly). There is also some real talent the sophomore class. As these two groups gain football experience and increase their size and strength in the weight room, Columbia is going to become a good team. Especially after a couple of more very successful recruiting years.
Coach Wilson and his staff do an incredible job educating potential recruits and their families about Columbia, the football program and the opportunities available in New York City. My son was only mildly interested in attending Columbia before we came on the Official Visit (he was being recruited by other ivy schools including ones that start with P). He didn't know if he would like the City and was not impressed with Columbia's football history. Everything about the Official Visit weekend was impressive. They showed us the school, the football facilities and the City. The coaches conveyed the sense that they are absolutely committed to building a winning program. They were open, friendly and fun to be around. In was overwhelmingly obvious how much the assistant coaches and the players like and respect Coach Wilson. The man is a force: driven about academics and football, charming, inspiring, and funny.
Needless to say my son was enormously impressed and did in fact commit to Columbia. He loves the academics, his fellow players, Coach Wilson and his position coach. He along with the other first years came to Columbia for two reasons: to get a great education and to be part of a football program on the rise. He and the other first years expect to win an Ivy championship before they graduate. They know that it is going to take a couple more years of growing pains and a couple more good recruiting classes but they expect to get there.
Let me tell you this, if a recruit comes for an official visit (meets Coach Wilson and the other coaches, tours the campus and the facilities, and sees the City), I would be shocked if Columbia doesn't move to the top of that recruit's wish list by the end of the weekend.
I believe that Columbia Football under Coach Wilson has a bright future. Now add in the fact that in addition to the talents of Coach Wilson, you have for the first time in decades an administration that is giving real support to the program. Good things are going to happen.
Very well said.
I was blown away by the first year parent's 8:59 AM PDT post. What a great statement by somebody who is in a position to know. What a great statement of confidence about the future and about our staff. And I believe it is true. I first met NW at the Hall of Fame dinner in February of of'06. He made it clear that there was a lot to me done, but the man convinced me that he can do it. And it is certainly true that he has only had one and a half recruiting classes. He knows what is to be done, and he may well be correct that he'll be able to recruit the types of players that can play a 3 5 3 (really a 3 3 5) defense!
The reason we can't stop the run is in the defensive scheme. The 3-3-5 is very bad against the run in a schematic meaning, and having it against Yale will be suicide. The coaches need a 4 man front to have a chance, because if we stop the run then all of the sudden we can compete- the offense is fine, the pass defense is solid, and special teams are adequate.
Words of encouragement are what this group of fine young men need and deserve. They play hard every down and have been competitive in most of the games this year. When they win the Ivy League title they will be immortalized. Deeds of fame will make their name at old Columbia! We're still on board.
While I am also puzzled by the 3 man front, I have to assume that the coaches know what they are doing.
I am also a first year parent, and I agree with everything the previous parent said. My son chose Columbia, not only because of the fantastic coaching staff, but because of the challenge of turning the program around, making a difference. I am perfectly sure current recruits will want that challenge too!
Nico is rookie of the week! Alex Gross has won it twice. Good news for the future; also great to hear from parents of first years. I have a good feeling about the Yale game.
I too have a freshman son in the program and I am sure he is still strongly confident in coach Wilson and his staff. He also felt strongly about being a part of a new Columbia era and dreamed of being part of a championship team at the school. He has not given up that dream because of this season. If you can imagine this many 1st and 2nd year guys in your high school competing against jr. and sr. players you would have to easily believe the results would be the same. Picture even your best freshmen thrust onto the varsity squad and how would they fare? All that being said I am still surprised at how bad our run defense has actually been. I think we need to use the speed of our linebackers and spurs to our advantage. They seem to always be sitting back and catching the blocker or running back. We need to gamble more and shoot gaps and try and stop run plays before they pick up any momentum.
Ditto. I believe we gambled and "shot the gaps" more last year. High risk = high reward
agree about shooting the gaps and run blitzes; as for freshmen playing against seniors, while the point is well taken,presumably coach wilson is playing the best 11 and not sitting juniors and seniors to give younger players experience for the future. The very best defenses we had had over the years shot the gap, did run blitzes, swarmed to the ball, etc. In fact, that's the only way to play the 3 3 5.
Remember that MacLeod is the hot dog who somersaulted into the end zone in the rain at Yale last year after we had basically bottled him up all day.
Good to see the parents and the kids are still positive about Wilson. We shall take our lumps this year and be better next year.
I'll be interested to see if LF changes it up this week or if he stays with the scheme! If we stay the course then we better play better up the middle or we'll give up 300 yards rushing! MacLeod is the best back we'll see this year.
On offense, we're scoring enough to win in most games! Offense could still improve the run game.
Last week, Nico G showed he can be a great alternative receiver to Austin Knowlin. If only we could make it to the Tight End more often! Sustained drives would help keep the pressure off of defense.
I will echo the sentiments of the other underclassmens parents supporting the program. I will add that we, as parents, also played a role in where our boys "signed" their likely letter, and most of us had other options and interviews with many other programs including Ivy league. Norries Wilson and his staff, are great recruiters, to the point where my son cancelled remaining 'scholarship' school official visits(I was a little upset with this)after his OV with Columbia. I wanted him to explore his other options, but he felt "at home" with the Columbia program. This says alot about Columbia and the football staff. Whether NW is a good coach or not remains to be seen, but it all starts with recruiting and administrative support-so the horizon looks bright. Give him and the program a break, please.
As for the comments about the Xs and Os, let's have some faith in the coaching staff. Another good recruiting class and nobody will be complaining about the run defense!
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