Football

There is no gradual story of the football team’s growth over the past decade program’s evolution. This is because the decade was punctuated by one event that could alter the course of the program for decades to come: the hiring of head coach Al Bagnoli in 2015. Prior to Bagnoli’s arrival, the Lions suffered defeat after defeat under a series of coaches. They went 8-42 total for all games played under the consecutive tenures of head coaches Norries Wilson, who was let go in 2011 following a 1-9 record, and Pete Mangurian, who led the Lions to two consecutive winless seasons in 2013 to 2014.

Each season marks a new start for Columbia Athletics. Players are given another chance to realize their full potential, and teams are invigorated with hopes of winning championship titles. The actions of individuals and their teams define the culture of Columbia Athletics for years to come; these are the moments that characterized the fall 2019 season.

As the clock hit zero inside Schoellkopf Field, the mood on the Columbia sideline was different from that of other blowouts. More than just being the end of a quiet offensive game, or of a disappointing season overall, this loss felt like the end of an important transitionary era in Columbia football.

Bill Campbell embodied the adage of leaving things better than you found them. The steel mill town of Homestead, Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Silicon Valley have little in common, but they were all beloved by Campbell, and they all reaped the benefits of his love.

With its season coming to a close, Football has one final chance to try to find a silver lining in a season that has not gone as planned. If this Saturday’s bout against the Cornell Big Red is anything like last year’s, the Lions could once again enter the off-season feeling optimistic for what’s ahead.

In the wake of numerous player injuries, issues with scheduling, and an inability to move the ball downfield at times, the Lions have had their fair share of valid reasons for their 3-5 start to the season. However, the matchup on Saturday was set to be a surefire win for Columbia’s football team as Brown has not won an Ivy League game since the 2016 season.

Eight weeks into a season that has primarily felt like a disappointment, the Lions may have finally found a rhythm in last week’s thrilling 17-10 overtime victory against Harvard.

This was the game the Lions have been waiting for all season.

While the Columbia football team has not played up to expectations this season, you would never be able to tell by talking to them. Injuries to key players combined with shaky quarterback play have led the Light Blue to its worst record at Game 7 since 2016. Despite this, the Lions’ confidence remains unwavering.

While football has struggled to win games all season long, the Lions have been able to find some silver lining in each of their losses. In the resiliency Columbia showed against Dartmouth and the solid 45 minutes of defense against Princeton, the coaching staff had something positive to focus on after the game. However, it will be a tall task for the coaching staff to find anything positive to focus on after the Lions’ 45-10 loss to Yale (6-1, 3-1 Ivy).