Turning Point

Glockner is now a college basketball writer for ESPN


Game of the Day (Day 54)

October 16, 1994

Penn 12 Columbia 3


Columbia's brief but glorious strong period from 1994-96 truly began when the Lions marched into Franklin Field in week 5 and put a real scare into the dominant Penn Quakers before falling 12-3.

Penn came into the game scoring an average of 33 points a game. But the Lions were starting to gel defensively with end Marcellus Wiley up front, safety Jim Hudnall in the defensive backfield, and sophomore linebacker Rory Wilfork in the middle.

They combined to put together a "bend, but not break" defense against future Chicago Cubs star Mark DeRosa, who went 22 for 34 passing, but also threw two big interceptions, (the first to Hudnall).

Columbia jumped in front on an opening drive that ended in a 43-yard Joe Aldrich field goal that I still can't believe cleared the cross bar.

Then Penn tailback Terence Stokes took over, finishing the day with 206 yard on 37 carries. But every time Stokes got the Quakers inside the red zone, they faltered.

That put the game on he kicking toe of Andy Glockner, (who is now a gret college basketball writer for ESPN.COM), who made four of five attempts to provide the winning margin.

But after the game everyone in the stadium knew Columbia had turned it around. In fact, several Penn fans came over to me after the game when they noticed my Lions sweatshirt and made a point of commenting on how this was the best Columbia team they had ever seen.

Columbia would get over the hump the next two years, beating the Quakers in '95 and '96. But it all started in 1994.