NEC Forecast

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Eddie Delaney



NEC Opponents Get Ranked


Columbia plays two teams from the NEC this season, and based on the predictions from yesterday’s NEC media day one of those opponents will be pretty tough and the other will be… not so tough.

Week 2 and home opener opponent Albany was picked fourth in the conference, but has three players on the All-NEC preseason team.

The Great Dane players on the list were:

1) WR Ryan Kirchner, a 6-1/180 pound junior from Rumson, New Jersey.

2) DL Eddie Delaney, a 6-6/245 pound senior from Holtsville, New York (that’s on Long Island).

3) Punter Paul Layton, a sophomore from Burnt Hills, New York.


The news wasn’t as good for week 4 opponent Sacred Heart.

The Pioneers were picked 8th out of nine teams, which isn’t too surprising since all-world QB Dale Fink has graduated.

The only Sacred Heart player chosen to the preseason All-NEC team was LB Chris Mandas, a 5-10/215 pound senior from Mission Viejo, California.



Brendan Brackett


Preseason NEC favorite Central Connecticut State is NOT on the CU schedule this year, (the Lions lost a heartbreaker to them in 2009 at home), but a very special person from CCSU is on the preseason All-NEC team.

That person is OL Brendan Brackett, a 6-4/285 pound senior from Brooklyn, Connecticut.

Sound familiar?

Yes, Brendan is Lion QB Sean Brackett’s big brother! And since he’s a senior, this will be the last season the Brackett parents will have to split time following their sons separate games every fall Saturday.

Good luck to Brendan.




Top 100 Moments of 2010


#44: A Stroke of Luck


Moments after Dartmouth scored to make it 17-7 in the week six Homecoming matchup against Columbia, the Big Green were on the march again and knocking on the door for another score.

The Big Green began the possession late in the 3rd quarter at their 27 and thanks mostly to four rushes for 36 yards by Nick Schwieger, Dartmouth was all the way to the Columbia 15 before facing its first 3rd down of the drive.

But what an odd 3rd down it turned out to be.

QB Connor Kempe somehow messed up his timing and pitched the ball to no one in particular.

Lion DL Josh Martin at first looked like he would scoop it up and take it all the way back for a score, but he didn’t get the handle right away.

A mad dash for the ball ensued, and Martin was able to come up with it in the end to give Columbia the ball back at the Lion 30.

It was a huge stroke of luck that Columbia would not waste.