Two Tight End Set Proves Successful for Light Blue

Columbia head coach Norries Wilson has frequently said that the Lions’ tight ends could become the best in the Ivy League. Troy Evangelist and Jamal Russell took steps to prove this statement against Princeton, accounting for two receptions each, one touchdown, and more reliable pass protection for Craig Hormann.

Jamal Russell was out for the first two games this season, and Evangelist wasn’t starting games until the end of last season. Now that they’re both healthy, Columbia’s beginning to reap the benefits.

Having two game-ready tight ends gives Columbia the ability to use offensive alignments with seven down linemen. Either two tight ends can overload one side of the line or, as was the case against Princeton, one can flank each side of the line. Coach Wilson pointed to this two-tight-end set as being particularly effective against Princeton’s defense.

“We run two tight ends every week, it just depends on how you line the two tight ends up,” he said. “It balances a lot of defenses up and shows when the blitz is coming on a lot of occasions. Princeton does a good job against two tight-end sets showing the blitz on one side and then adjusting to bring the blitz from another side.”

If the two-tight-end set becomes a fixture in Columbia’s offense, it could bring several benefits. As was shown against Princeton, Craig Hormann has much more time and space to move around in the backfield with seven players building him a pocket. Princeton didn’t register a single sack on Saturday. The only time the Tigers came close, Hormann threw off the defender with a spin move.

Evangelist and Russell have both shown that they can catch the ball as well as block. Evangelist has the advantage over Russell in size and blocking ability, but the difference in the players gives the Lions options. They can balance opposing defensive lines based on which player takes which side of the line. Some teams with two-tight-end sets use one player strictly as a blocker and the other for running routes, but there was no such distinction on Saturday.

The tight ends were targeted in more plays against Princeton than in the other two games this season. Hormann threw to Jordan Davis and Evangelist on 10 plays, resulting in three completions. Russell caught another pass from tailback Davis on a touchdown play in the fourth quarter.

Marist, Fordham, and Princeton had all flagged Austin Knowlin as Columbia’s biggest offensive threat. Other teams will likely do the same, so Columbia will benefit hugely from a new set of weapons exploiting a new part of the field. The tight-end sets give the Lions the ability to use short-yardage passes, which could result in some big plays if the wide receivers can draw defenses away from the line of scrimmage.

It may have been a strategy targeted for Princeton, but given the success the Lions had with the two-tight-end formation, it will likely see a greater role in more games this season.