Ready for Prime Time?

The live blogging of spring practice is back tomorrow beginning at about 4:15pm.






Welcome John Cavalier!

John Cavalier has been named Columbia's new director of football operations, replacing the great Jeff Kupper. Cavalier is now the guy who, in many ways, will become the face of Columbia football to so many people from current players to recruits to alumni.



Farnham was 2-2 against Columbia


Farnham to the NFL?

Brown has done very well getting its players into the NFL in recent years. An "on the bubble" player this year is WR Buddy Farnham who should be signed by an NFL team no matter what, but will he be drafted?

Farnham was actually not at his absolute best in his four games against the Lions. But he was still pretty darn good, and he got better as the years went on.

As a frosh in 2006, Farnham grabbed one pass for nine yards in the Lions 22-21 win over the Bears in Providence.

In 2007, Brown QB Michael Dougherty completed 27 passes to just four different receivers with Farnham getting five of those balls for 55 yards and one touchdown. The real weapon for the Bears that day was Farnham's fellow sophomore Bobby Sewall, who had 12 receptions for 83 yards and two TD's. Brown won 30-22.

2008 was the only blowout in Columbia-Brown series over Farnham's four years. The Bears won in Providence, 41-10 and Farnham had 6 catches for 76 yards and a score.

Farnham concluded his collegiate career in 2009 with a 28-14 loss to Columbia where he had nine grabs for 107 yards and two TD's. On paper, that was a great way to end things... other than the loss I mean... but if you watched the game, it wasn't so clear cut.

Farnham did play extremely well overall. He got the kind of separation from Lion defensive backs that no other receiver achieved all year. But he also suffered two drops that may have hurt his stock with the NFL scouts who indeed were in the pressbox that afternoon.

First, he misjudged a punt in the sun early in the first quarter and muffed it. Columbia recovered and eventually got into scoring position before missing a field goal.

Later in the first quarter, Farnham dropped what looked like a sure TD pass after blowing by the Columbia defenders along the western sideline. That drop was really the turning point of the game. Brown had to punt on the next play and Columbia scored the tying TD on the ensuing drive.

If Farnham were at a BCS school, none of those two errors would mean all that much. But I have found that Ivy players are judged on a much tougher level by NFL scouts and I wonder if those miscues will burn him even though they did take place almost six months before draft day.

And compare Farnham's numbers against Columbia to current Brown grad and NFL special teams star Sean Morey.

Morey was also a star WR in college and, like Farnham, a Bushnell Cup winner.

In the Bears' 1995 33-14 win over the Lions in 1995, Morey was a non-factor as a freshman.

But in the 31-27 thrilling Columbia win at Wien Stadium a year later, the Lions had their hands full with Morey as he caught 9 passes for 115 yards and two TD's.

In 1997, Morey was the big star in the Bears 41-11 blowout win. He had 10 catches for 152 yards and three TD's to close out a junior year where he had 1,427 yards and 15 TD's.

But Morey's final collegiate game ended with a whimper. With Brown coming into week 10 of the '98 season averaging 28 points and 346 yards per game, the Lions shut down the great Bear offense despite falling to Brown by a 10-3 score. Morey finished the game with just 3 catches for 40 yards. He came into the game averaging 8.8 catches and 108 yards receiving per contest.

You could argue that even with that monster 1997 game, Farnham had a more impressive career against Columbia than the great Sean Morey.

Either way, Lions fans are glad Farnham is graduating!