1994 IVY LEAGUE FOOTBALL STANDINGS: Football tries to stop Lions

Columbia is finally above .500 It was in 1985 that Al Bagnoli, then the coach at Union, was a candidate for the vacant head coaching position at Columbia. Soon after his second interview there, Bagnoli decided he could do better. "They didn't have what I thought they needed to be successful on a continual basis," Bagnoli said. "Things weren't quite right." Things were, in fact, very wrong. The Lions were mired in a 44-game losing streak, an NCAA record that started in 1983 and lasted all the way to 1987. The Streak cast a cloud over the program that has not dissipated. Until, perhaps, now. Columbia (2-1-1, 0-1 Ivy League) enters tomorrow's 1 p.m. game against Penn (3-0, 1-0) at Franklin Field with its best shot in years at a winning season. That's a feat the Lions have not accomplished since 1971. Columbia took the first step in escaping the ravaging effects of The Streak in 1989 when it hired Ray Tellier as head coach. Tellier, who had coached against Bagnoli and Union while at Rochester, knew he would find the early going difficult. "I'd heard about the legacy, but you have to like a challenge," he said. "I just thought if we could change some attitudes and get a greater commitment to the program?there was only one place for us to go." Many things contribute to the success or failure of a football program -- financial aid, the budget situation and its relationship with admissions to name a few. Tellier had to work to bring all of these in line, but the toughest problem with which he had to contend was the tradition of losing. That is a big reason Tellier could not come close to doing what Bagnoli did when he arrived at Penn. The 2-8 team Bagnoli inherited when he joined the Quakers after the 1991 season became a 10-0 Ivy League champion in just two seasons. Penn won one more Ivy game last year -- seven -- than the Lions have won since Tellier's arrival. The reason is simple -- Tellier has found it next to impossible to bring in the talent necessary to compete at a championship level. "Our reputation is well-documented, and it doesn't help with recruiting," Tellier said. "A winning season, even just one, would help because then we would be able to talk about more than what we hope might happen with this program. We could tell [recruits] what we've actually accomplished." This year, Tellier thinks, may be the year the Lions take that big step. Somehow, some way, he has a group with the right combination of athleticism and work habits. Since dropping a tough loss to Harvard in the season opener, Columbia has gone undefeated. The Lions tied favored Lehigh only because they missed an extra point in the closing seconds, then dominated Lafayette and Fordham to push their record above .500. Last year, Columbia was 0-4 at this point in the season. Tellier thinks his team is improved at just about every position. The Lions feature a one-two punch at quarterback that is known for keeping teams off balance. If Penn is able to put the clamps on Jamie Schwalbe's passing, Tellier can send in Mike Cavanaugh to run the wishbone option. Cavanaugh has six runs over 30 yards this year. Of all the improvements, the running game may be the most significant. Cavanaugh and backs John Harper and Anthony Jackson key a ball-control offense that has allowed the defense to stay off the field far more than in years past. Despite the substantial improvements, Tellier knows his team has a ways to go before it reaches the level of a championship-caliber team. A team, for instance, like the Quakers. "I have great respect for Penn and all the things they've accomplished," Tellier said. "It's a tall order for us, but we're excited about having the chance to test ourselves against someone this good." The Quakers may have reached the peak of their powers with their 59-8 annihilation of Holy Cross last weekend at Franklin Field. But there is always the fear of a letdown after such a resounding victory, and no one is more aware of that fact than Bagnoli. He spent 10 minutes after practice Tuesday convincing his players. "I don't think they realize that a game like Holy Cross comes about once every five years," Bagnoli said. "But it would be foolish to think that's going to be the norm. We've got to get buckled down." Penn's passing game was clicking on all cylinders against the Crusaders. By the time the starters were pulled at halftime, quarterback Mark DeRosa had completed 23 of 31 passes for 285 yards. Receiver Miles Macik had caught 10 passes for 127 yards without breaking a sweat. The Quakers outgained Holy Cross 432 to 17 in the first 30 minutes. There's no way things will be so easy tomorrow. "Columbia's more physical than Holy Cross," Bagnoli said. "They're older, so they're used to the wars a little bit more. They're more talented." Not too long ago, Columbia wouldn't have compared favorably even with a team as weak as Holy Cross. The Lions have come a long way. Tomorrow's game will be the best indication yet this year of how far they have to go.