The good news for Columbia is that Fletcher and his 6’7, 243-lb. frame will be back on the field this weekend after sitting out the first two weeks with a hamstring injury.
The Tigers’ defense, however, comes into this contest off two straight solid campaigns, holding opponents to about 300 yards of total offense per game and forcing six turnovers in that span.
The Lions’ offense has to get going in this one for them to have a chance, because Princeton backs Jon Veach and Branden Bensen should be able to take advantage of a Columbia defense that gave up 408 yards on the ground last week.
Ivy road games are always tough, but give me the Tigers by a touchdown in this one.
YALE (1-1) vs. NO. 11 COLGATE (2-1)
The Bulldogs looked awful against Cornell last weekend and struggled against mid-major Dayton the week before. Quarterback Alvin Cowan has yet to show why he was mentioned as an All-American candidate to start off the year or even why he should be considered among the top half of the signal callers in the Ivy League. And the only thing that has kept Yale from starting 0-2 has been the strong play of its defense.
Something is terribly wrong in New Haven.
With the No. 11 Raiders coming to town, things will only get worse.
It’s tough to imagine the Bulldogs’ defense fending off the same Colgate team that put up 52 points on them last year.
It’s also tough to conceive of a way for Cowan to turn around the disastrous start to his season in just one weekend.
Obviously, Yale has the talent to hang with the Raiders, but the confidence just isn’t there. Colgate takes the rematch of last year’s 52-40 shootout by about the same 12-point margin.
QUICK PICKS
RHODE ISLAND 42, BROWN 31
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides flirt with 1,000 yards of total offense in this one. This one should be a back-and-forth shootout here with the Rams coming on down the stretch to take their fourth straight Governor’s Cup.
CORNELL 17, TOWSON 13
Sure, the Big Red hasn’t won a road game since beating Columbia in November 2002 and has won just two games total in that span, but you can’t pick against momentum. And Cornell has it.
After picking up its first Ivy win since that date with the Lions nearly two years ago, the Big Red—and its staunch defense—will do just enough to beat A-10 cellar dweller Towson.
—MICHAEL R. JAMES