Waking up before the season ends

Cornell and Columbia long for it to be September again.

The two New York Ivies both had solid opening months, as they went a combined 3-1.

But while Columbia did have its most impressive win in the first weekend in October — a 38-0 thumping of Princeton Oct. 3 — Cornell hasn’t won in October or November and the Princeton victory is Columbia’s sole ‘W’ since Sept. 19.

So either the Lions (2-6, 1-4 Ivy) or the Big Red (2-6, 1-4) will get their first post-September win tomorrow when the two face off in Ithaca, N.Y.

Cornell has now lost six straight games, though the last two weeks it has lost two road games by a single score (17-13 at Princeton two weeks ago and 20-17 in double overtime at Dartmouth last Saturday).

The Lions, losers of five in a row, have had their own share of close calls, including a one-point loss to Yale and a three-point defeat to Lafayette.

Dartmouth (2-6, 2-3 Ivy) at Brown (5-3, 3-2)

Just a few weeks ago, Dartmouth was dead last in the Ivy League and hadn’t won a game since 2007.

Yet with a win over Brown tomorrow in Providence, R.I., the Big Green would be tied for third place in the conference with the Bears and possibly Yale if the Bulldogs win.

The Big Green recently found a new offensive weapon in freshman quarterback Greg Patton, who set the school’s single-game rushing record against Cornell last Saturday. But the Bears have the 11th best rush defense in the Football Championship Subdivision so Patton might be limited this week.

Instead, sophomore quarterback Conner Kempe will try to test the Bears’ pass defense, which is last in the Ivy League. Kempe and Patton split snaps under center against the Big Red. But Kempe was the only one to complete a pass, going 23-for-39 for 208 yards and an interception.

A.J. Cruz will try to limit Kempe’s aerial attack. The freshman cornerback has established himself as one of the best young Ivy defensive backs, tallying three interceptions (including one touchdown). He won Ivy Defensive Player of the Week Monday after nine tackles and a pick Saturday versus Yale.

On the other side of the ball, the Bears hope senior receivers Buddy Farnham and Bobby Sewall come up big in their last game at Brown Stadium. The two rank seventh and 11th, respectively, in Ivy League history for career receptions.

Yale (4-4, 2-3) at Princeton (2-6, 1-4)

To Yale and Princeton, 2006 must seem like lightyears ago.

The Bulldogs and Tigers split the Ivy League title that year with a 6-1 record, and only had a combined three overall losses.

But in 2009 the teams are four games under .500 and both are eliminated from Ivy title contention entering tomorrow’s matchup at Princeton Stadium.

The fall has been especially painful for the Tigers, who have gone 10-18 since the split Ivy title. Yale has a significantly better record (19-9) thanks to its 9-1 2007 season, but have managed a pedestrian 6-6 Ivy record since that year.

Despite the lack of recent pizzazz to this rivalry, it’s still a historic series. The 132 games are the second most in college football (Lafayette and Lehigh have played 144 times). And the 1903 game was the first game captured on film.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.