No Danny Russell

Danny Russell is headed to Newark... Delaware

... well at least Yale won't get him either. Promising defensive lineman transfer Danny Russell from UConn who had been considering Columbia and Yale is going to University of Delaware instead.

Who knows how much of an impact Russell will have at U-Del or how much he would have helped Columbia or Yale, but I suspect he would have been a welcome addition.

I'm a little confused though, because Rusell said he was leaving UConn because he wanted to go to a better academic school and I wasn't aware that Delaware is considered so much better. But I could be wrong.


Game of the Day (Day 82)

October 14, 1961


Columbia 11 Yale 0


Today's game is one of the greatest wins in Columbia football history. But for some reason, people don't talk about it as much as you might think. In my mind, this was truly the key win in the 1961 championship season. It was a great defensive performance against the defending league champs in their building, and it came with the Lions top rusher injured and out of the game. It also ended Yale's winning streak at 11 games on a rainy day in front of 22,188 fans.

For some reason, the 1961 contest was the third of three straight Columbia-Yale games at Yale Bowl. The first two had been rough for the Lions with Yale winning 14-0in 1959 and 30-8 in 1960 en route to a 7-0 season the latter year.

Sophomore Al Butts was the big star of the game on both sides of the ball. It was the 18-year-old Butts who filled in for the injured first string running back Tom Haggerty, and rushed for a 4-yard TD, a two-point conversion AND intercepted two passes while playing linebacker.

Columbia captain Bill Campbell was also a big leader on defense, as the Elis were shut out for the first time since 1958.

The win came a week after a crushing loss at Baker Field to Princeton, where the Lions lost focus late and dropped control of the game. The turnaround from the previous week was so inspiring that the players hoisted Head Coach Buff Donelli on their shoulders after the game.