Dillon Breaks Single-Game Sack Record As Lions Improve To 3-1

Upper West Side NY

13 October, 2021

11:58 AM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY MATTHEW KIM OCTOBER 9, 2021 Boosted by an otherworldly performance by senior linebacker Cam Dillon, Columbia football (3-1, 0-1 Ivy) defeated Central Connecticut State University in a nail-biting 22-20 game. Despite never leading, CCSU (1-4) clawed back at several points of the game, keeping the Lions on their toes. "It came down to a very suspenseful, very tight game, and honestly, we put ourselves in harm's way," head coach Al Bagnoli said. "In theory, we should have scored at least another 10 points in the first half." Saturday's game was the Blue Devils' homecoming, but it was also a homecoming of sorts for Bagnoli, who graduated from CCSU in 1975. "It's always nice to get back to where you went to school, but I told the guys it's a business trip," he said. "We've got to take opportunities to get better, especially in these non-league [games]." The Blue Devils gave the Lions an early scare, driving all the way down to the Columbia 27 on the first possession of the game. However, a big sack by Dillon on fourth down gave the Light Blue the ball. The Lions capitalized on the stop. Sophomore quarterback Joe Green led the Light Blue deep into CCSU territory, going long twice to sophomore wide receiver Wills Meyer for 25 and 19 yards. Sophomore quarterback Gabriel Hollingsworth then came in for Green, and after his initial attempt from the CCSU 7 came up just short, he ran it in from the 1—the Lions' first score of the game and his second of the season. The Columbia defense held CCSU to two more fruitless possessions, earning the Lions favorable field position on the CCSU 46. Columbia earned a first-and-goal but could not convert, and junior kicker Alex Felkins sank a 30-yard field goal to increase the lead 10-0. A penalty brought back CCSU's kickoff return, and despite starting the drive on their own nine-yard line, the Blue Devils immediately responded. Quarterback Romelo Williams led CCSU's attack downfield and finished off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass. A successful point after touchdown narrowed the Lions' lead to 3 points. Mistakes and missed opportunities hindered the Lions' scoring chances the rest of the half. Four plays after a 44-yard completion between Green and senior wide receiver Ernest Robertson brought the Lions to the Blue Devils' 26, Felkins—who failed to convert both of his field goal attempts against Princeton last week—missed from 38 yards out. On Columbia's next drive, Green threw an interception, his first turnover of the year. "We just got to execute in the red zone," Green said. "I think that's the biggest thing." A Dillon sack for a loss of 11 just off the interception stymied the Blue Devils' chances of gaining a first down, forcing them to punt three plays later. The Lions were set to receive the punt, but they mishandled it and allowed CCSU to recover the ball in Columbia territory. The defense held its own, though, and on fourth down, Dillon sacked Williams once again to force a turnover on downs. Dillon was not done yet. After senior punter Drew Schmid's early-third quarter punt took a friendly bounce and cornered the Blue Devils on their own one-yard line, Dillon tore through the CCSU offensive line and sacked Williams for a safety, making the score 12-7. Both teams struggled to create scoring chances the rest of the third quarter. In the final period, Felkins nailed another one from 30 to give the Lions an eight-point cushion. With just under seven minutes remaining, Williams made things interesting by lobbing it to wide receiver Tyshaun James from the 16, closing the margin to 15-13. Fifth-year strong safety Ben Mathiasmeier came up with what ended up being a crucial stop on the ensuing two-point attempt. A minute later, senior running back Dante Miller had an answer. Miller—who had an 83-yard touchdown run against CCSU as a first-year—broke off on the left side for a 65-yard touchdown run, just topping his 63-yard run against Georgetown. With the game seemingly locked up thanks to a 22-13 Columbia lead, Williams led a rapid attack down the field that ended in a 22-yard pass to the end zone, his third of the day. The extra point made the score 22-20. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, it was too little too late. CCSU's onside kick attempt failed, and with less than a minute and no timeouts remaining, the Blue Devils could not stop the clock. With the win, the Lions improve to 3-1. It is the third time in the past four years that Columbia has gone undefeated in non-conference games. Dillon, who ended the day with 5.5 sacks for 47 yards lost, nearly doubled the previous Columbia single-game sack record of three. "I had no idea [I broke the record]," he said. "I was happy to be making tackles and putting our defense in good positions, so when I found out after the game, I was kind of shocked." Going into Saturday's matchup, the Lions knew they would have their hands full defending Williams, a dual-threat quarterback. Despite Dillon's dominance, Williams completed 29 of his 51 passing attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns. James and his fellow wide receiver Erik Surratt also gave the Light Blue trouble, finishing with 98 and 81 receiving yards, respectively, and a touchdown each. Columbia was thrown another curveball by Blue Devil punter Aidan Clark, whose unconventional, high-arching punts gave the Lions trouble, forcing them to fumble three of them. "We knew it was going to be difficult just because [of] the way the kid kicks it," Bagnoli said. Green ended the day 14 for 24 for 164 yards. Miller bounced back from last week's game against Princeton in a big way. The North Carolina native ran for a career-high 136 yards on 18 attempts, patiently waiting for holes and breaking out for multiple runs of over 10 yards, including his 65-yard touchdown. "I got a great offensive line," Miller said. "They pay attention to every single detail, and I think that comes out in the game greatly. Honestly, it's just following them, trusting the boys." The Light Blue frequently looked to Hollingsworth's rushing ability in the red zone, which was a staple of its high-powered offense in the season opener against Marist. The sophomore ran for 30 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Despite the result of the game, Bagnoli believes the team could have capitalized on more of its opportunities, a sentiment he has expressed about other matchups as well. "Once again, we left so many points on the field today—missed opportunities with field position, lack of execution in the kicking game," Bagnoli said. "It's frustrating because we're capable of doing so much better, and yet we put ourselves in peril needlessly." The Lions were also dealing with the loss of senior quarterback Ty Lenhart, who was elected a captain this fall. Ahead of the game, Lenhart decided to "leave the Columbia Football program due to personal reasons," according to a statement by Columbia Athletics Saturday morning, and did not travel with the team to CCSU. "We left on very good terms," Bagnoli said. "He's done a wonderful job of leading us over the summertime and galvanizing our kids for workouts and doing all that other stuff. He made a personal decision, and we respect it. … You obviously don't want to lose someone who the kids view as a leader of the team, but people make decisions, and we live with them." The Light Blue's remaining six games will all be against Ivy opponents, which Dillon feels the team is prepared for. "I think our team has matured a lot since the beginning of the season," he said. "We had the tough loss to Princeton, but we fixed what needed to be fixed, and we're ready to roll through the Ivy." Columbia will host Penn next Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1:30 p.m., for the Lions' Homecoming. Deputy Sports Editor Matt Kim can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @matt_kim9. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.