Wilson experiments with young quarterbacks Brackett, Bell in defeat

With Millicent Olawale out again, the starting quarterback position for the Lions is still up for grabs, and this Saturday’s game did not help to clear up the confusion. During Columbia’s 34-14 loss to Harvard, freshman Sean Brackett and sophomore Jerry Bell each had a chance to show their skills and try to lead Columbia to victory.

After playing the full game against Yale last weekend, Brackett started Saturday’s game on the field. In the little over a quarter that he played, fans saw him make some successful passes while also drawing upon his agility in the pocket. Columbia’s first set on the offensive included a rushing gain of six yards for Brackett and an incomplete pass to senior Austin Knowlin.

Though the next possession did not yield any complete passes, Brackett was finally able to capitalize on the Light Blue’s third drive. Striking a good balance between running and throwing, Brackett rushed for 11 yards on one play and later found Knowlin 14 yards down the field for a first down. Gaining momentum, Brackett immediately went through the air again to wide receiver Taylor Joseph for 11 yards. Relying on his arm for the third time in a row, Brackett’s next throw was intercepted by Harvard and the offense was forced to prematurely leave the field.

Columbia’s fourth possession would be Brackett’s last for the day. It began when he rushed for 10 yards and a first down. Then he came through with another two first downs, one on a 17-yard pass to Knowlin and another via the air to junior Mike Stephens for 19 yards. After one more pass to Stephens, a six-yard gain, Brackett tried out his running game once more. Not seeing any options downfield, he pump-faked multiple times while zigzagging to the right side of the field and then back to the left before Harvard’s Josue Ortiz forced him to fumble eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. Harvard was able to recover and force the offense off the field once more.

When Columbia regained possession after Ross Morand’s interception, Bell took the field as quarterback for the first time since last year’s season finale against Brown. From the start, Bell relied more on his passing game than Brackett had.

Bell’s first two plays both resulted in first downs, with 22- and 11-yard passes completed to Joseph. After handing off to Leon Ivery for a quick three-yard rush, Bell looked downfield again to Joseph for another six yards. The drive came to an end when Ivery fumbled two plays later.

Thanks to another interception, Bell got control of the ball once again and immediately started throwing to Andrew Kennedy and Knowlin. Stephens also received for Bell in the second quarter with two more catches for 32 yards. The third quarter played out similarly, with successful passes to Joseph, Knowlin, and Josh A. Williams, though the Lions were not able to capitalize and score any points.

The fourth quarter saw more receptions to a variety of players. In a single possession, Bell completed passes to Kennedy, David Chao, Mark Muston, Nico Papas, and Nico Gutierrez before finding Kennedy in the end zone for the Lions’ second and last touchdown of the day.

Head coach Norries Wilson now has to decide between two diverse quarterbacks. Against Yale, Brackett contributed 68 rushing yards and 180 passing yards. This Saturday, Bell posted 226 passing yards and -34 yards on the ground. With one quarterback comfortable throwing and one confident on his feet, Columbia has a big decision to make before next Saturday’s game against Cornell if Olawale is still unable to play.