NEW YORK -- Columbia went into Saturday's game against the Penn football team believing it could win. However, by the end of the day it was clear the Lions are not yet ready to compete with the Quakers.
In a game marked by Columbia's 250th anniversary celebration and the school's homecoming, Penn trounced the Lions, 31-7. Sam Mathews gained 249 all-purpose yards and Mike Mitchell returned to the starting lineup to pass for 264 yards and three touchdowns.
Talk this past week centered on an improved Columbia (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) team and the possibility of the Lions giving the Quakers (5-0, 2-0) a run for their money. But after the first five minutes, it was a one-sided contest.
Columbia marched down the field on its first possession, taking a 7-0 lead on a 41-yard pass from Jeff Otis to Travis Chmelka. But Penn's defense stifled Otis for the rest of the game and the Lions did not mount a serious scoring threat during the final 55 minutes.
"We knew against this offense that we'd have to play a tough defensive game," Quakers linebacker Ric San Doval said. "Hats off to the coaches and the rest of the defense for doing what needed to be done."
Penn's offense also started slowly, punting on its first two possessions. But Mitchell began to shake off the rust at the end of the first quarter, leading a 12-play, 79-yard drive. The Quakers scored their first touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Mitchell to Dan Castles early in the second quarter.
Penn scored again on a 45-yard screen pass from Mitchell to Mathews. By the end of the game Mitchell had passed Matt Rader for second all-time on Penn's career-passing list.
The touchdown seemed to ignite Mathews, who had been slowed early in the game by the Lions. He dominated Columbia in the final two and a half quarters, finishing with 190 rushing yards, 162 after halftime.
"I think it's a real big credit to the offensive line," Mathews said. "They played great, pushing people all over the place and making holes big for me."
The Quakers led, 14-7, at halftime, but they quickly put the game out of reach in the third. Penn effortlessly mixed Mathews' running with passes to Castles -- who finished with nine catches for 120 yards -- on their first drive of the second half. The drive ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to tight end Joe Pankratz.
Chmelka fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and Penn took over deep in Columbia territory. Mathews got into the end zone four plays later on a 10-yard run. In just 68 seconds, Penn had scored 14 points and extended its lead to 28-7, essentially putting the game out of reach.
The defense ensured that the Lions would not get back into it, applying pressure on nearly every play and forcing two interceptions in the final 20 minutes -- one each by safety Bryan Arguello and linebacker Luke Hadden.
Arguello later left the game with a hurt elbow. Penn coach Al Bagnoli indicated that the defensive back will likely have an X-ray and his status for this week's game is uncertain.
Peter Veldman's 26-yard field goal capped off the scoring as the Quakers held the ball for most of the fourth quarter with their rushing attack.
After the game, Columbia coach Bob Shoop, who had predicted a Lions victory earlier in the week, was complimentary of the Quakers.
"They play football the way it's meant to be played," Shoop said. "They're where we want to be; they're the model."
