Football Looks To Snap Losing Streak Against Brown On Saturday

Upper West Side NY

12 November, 2021

10:18 AM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY MATTHEW KIM NOVEMBER 10, 2021 Six weeks into the season, Columbia football appeared poised to make a run at the Ivy League title. Fresh off a nationally televised 19-0 shutout against Dartmouth (7-1, 4-1 Ivy), the Lions were tied for second in the Ancient Eight. Now, following a 37-30 road loss against Yale (5-3, 4-1 Ivy) and a 49-21 blowout at the hands of Harvard (6-2, 3-2 Ivy) the Light Blue currently sits at No. 5 in the Ivy League standings. There is still hope for a top-four finish, but the Lions have very little room for error. Looking to end a two-game losing streak, Columbia (5-3, 2-3 Ivy) will host Brown (2-6, 1-4 Ivy) on Saturday in the season's penultimate game. "We've got to get back on track," head coach Al Bagnoli said. "We played a tough stretch of games against really good teams. We got two dangerous teams to finish the season off. There are no guarantees." The last time the Lions and the Bears met, in 2019, Brown earned its only Ivy League victory that season. Led by a three-touchdown, 300-yard performance by quarterback EJ Perry, the Bears rolled the Light Blue 48-24. The Lions will once again be tasked with limiting Perry, who set the Ivy League on fire two years ago. In the 2019 season, he led the nation in total offense, set an Ivy League record for total offense, and earned First Team All-Ivy honors. Perry has shown no signs of slowing down since then. The preseason All-American is averaging almost 319 passing yards per game, which have led to 22 touchdowns. Perry also adds significant value on the ground, running for nearly 38 yards per game to go along with four rushing touchdowns. "He's really a dynamic kid who not only has all the physical attributes—he can throw it, he can run it, he makes good decisions—but he has a lot of the intangibles that you want your quarterback to have," Bagnoli said. "He's fiery. He's competitive. He's got a short memory, so when there is a mistake, it doesn't linger." Brown's offense ranks No. 4 in the Ancient Eight and averages 31 points per game, in large part due to Perry's herculean efforts. The Massachusetts native has thrown 361 times this season: 117 more attempts than the Ivy League's second-most frequent passer in Princeton quarterback Cole Smith. Perry also has a talented group of receivers around him. Receivers Graham Walker and Wes Rockett each have over 500 receiving yards on the year, while their fellow wideout Hayes Sutton trails closely behind with 477. The trio has contributed to 19 of Brown's 22 receiving touchdowns. "That offensive team is really dynamic," Bagnoli said. "We'll have to play really well … and make them earn every yard." The Lions' defense will have its hands full going up against such a strong passing team. Unfortunately, the Light Blue may once again be without senior defensive back Fara'ad McCombs, who may miss his fourth straight game, while junior cornerback Bryan Bell-Anderson and sophomore linebacker CJ Brown are set to return for the Lions after sitting out last week's Harvard matchup. Though Perry has solidified himself as the Ivy League's most prolific passer, he also leads the league with 13 interceptions in part due to the sheer volume of his pass attempts, Bagnoli said. In order to stabilize the Bears' offense, the Lions hope to walk away with more takeaways than Brown. "I think winning the turnover battle in any game is important, but especially in a game like this where you're playing a team who wants to get 80, 90 plays a game," fifth-year linebacker Justin Woodley said. "If we can get some of those turnovers, take them off the field … I think we're going to have a successful week." On the other side of the ball, Brown's defense ranks last in the Ivy League, allowing 43.6 points per game—17 more than second-to-last Cornell. Last week, Yale put up 63 points on the Bears as quarterback Nolan Grooms torched Brown's secondary with 330 yards and three touchdowns on an efficient 18-for-26 passing. After being shut out in the first half against Harvard last Saturday, the Lions will look to have a high offensive output against the struggling Brown defense. "[We need to] take advantage of explosive opportunities," quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Ryan Larsen said. "If we can show consistency in our execution and we can take advantage of those explosive opportunities of one-on-ones in space, I think we're going to have a really, really good Saturday." Against an explosive offense like Brown's, "having your foot on the gas" for the whole game will be even more important for the Lions, according to Bagnoli. "Their comeback capabilities and explosiveness are real, so [we're] trying to withstand some of the hits [we] know [we're] going to take," he said. Outside linebacker Junior Gafa leads Brown with 49 tackles on the year. The junior also has 7.5 tackles for loss, two of which are sacks, and two pass breakups on the year. Next to him, inside linebacker Jason Medeiros has recorded 36 tackles and four sacks. Sophomore quarterback Joe Green will start again for the Lions. Green has recorded his two most productive passing games in the last two weeks, throwing for 223 yards against Yale and 213 yards against Harvard. He also recorded his first career rushing touchdown against the Crimson. Green may be aided by the return of sophomore wide receiver Wills Meyer. The wideout began practicing again this week, according to Bagnoli, after missing the past three games, but his status for Saturday is still in question. Green will have his normal cast of pass-catchers in senior wide receivers Mike Roussos and Ernest Robertson, sophomore wide receiver Marcus Libman, junior tight end Luke Painton, and junior wide receiver Jack Ertz. In the backfield, senior running backs Dante Miller and Ryan Young are set to start. Miller currently leads the Ivy League with 708 rushing yards, while Young has recorded 388. A victory would give the Lions an even 3-3 record in the Ivy League and the potential to move back into a tie for fourth with Harvard if the Crimson loses to Penn on Saturday. However, a loss could drop the Light Blue to a tie for last if Penn and Cornell both win. In their Senior Day and last home game of the season, the Lions are looking to make a statement. "We have a sour taste in our mouth," Woodley said. "We never want to lose home games, especially the way we did [last week]." Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. Viewers can watch in person at Wien Stadium at Baker Athletics Complex or online on ESPN+. Bernard Wang contributed reporting. 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.