Penn vs. Columbia Live Updates

NEW YORK -- It's a windy day in the Big Apple, as the Quakers -- coming off of their first win of the season -- get set to do battle with the struggling Columbia Lions. The weather conditions here are eerily similar to what they were in Dartmouth a few weeks ago, where Penn dropped its first game to the Big Green in 10 years. At 0-1 in the Ivy League, the Quakers -- who have won 10 games in a row against the Lions -- can ill-afford to snap this streak today. Stay tuned throughout the game for live updates.

Final: Penn 59, Columbia 28

After the 90-yard completion to Knowlin, it looked like this game might be a close one. But Penn responded ferociously, scoring 38 unanswered points in the first half to put this game out of reach. Check out www.dailypennsylvanian.com in a little while for a full recap.

2:27 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

Tony Moses just put the exclamation point on this game for the Quakers. He absolutely annihilated a Columbia receiver and forced a fumble, which was recovered by the Quakers. This is Moses' second "jacked-up" tackle in as many weeks. Also a member of Penn's baseball team, Moses got a good lick on a Georgetown player last week.

3:58 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

David Wurst couldn't hang on to a bullet from McNally, and Columbia picked off the deflection. The Lions will take over on their own 45. It won't matter, though. Penn has this one in the bag. Sandberg will wind up just short of the 200-yard mark. He still had a heck of a day -- 197 yards and four touchdowns.

5:12 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

With the game pretty much over, Brendan McNally is now in at quarterback for the Quakers and just picked up a 1st down on a 6-yard run. Penn has the ball at its own 45. Kelms Amoo-Achampong and all of the backups are also in the game.

9:04 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

On 4th down from the 9, Hormann tried to throw for the first down, but Joey Brown did a nice job of breaking of the play. Penn now takes over on downs.

10:39 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

A long completion to Knowlin moves Columbia down to Penn's 31. Knowlin is approaching a single-game career record himself, with 176 yards receiving on the day.

11:43 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 59, Columbia 28

Well, as quickly as Penn is giving up touchdowns, its getting them back. Tyler Fisher just returned the kickoff 96 yards to paydirt. I believe that's Tyler Fisher's first kickoff return for a touchdown in his career. The Quakers have had some good returns this season, and it was only a matter of time before they got one in. 59 points is the most that Penn has scored in a Ivy League game during Bagnoli's tenure. Over on the other end of the press box, the Columbia writers are trying to figure out when they last gave up this many points. I just heard the words "Yale" and "1883."

11:55 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 52, Columbia 28

Another 19-yard strike from Hormann to Knowlin gives Columbia a touchdown. Again, poor coverage on Penn's part, and a missed tackle near the goal line allowed Knowlin to sneak in for 6. Penn still has most of its defensive starters in the game. Hormann has been very erratic today. On some throws he looks great, on others he looks terrible. Penn also bailed Columbia out on that drive with a pass interference after Ambrogi's sack.

12:39 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 52, Columbia 21

On 4th and 12, Columbia managed to move the chains on a 19-yard pass from Hormann to Knowlin, moving the ball to Penn's 23. Ambrogi just picked up another sack on 1st and 10, pushing Columbia back to the 30.

14:54 to go in the 4th quarter, Penn 52, Columbia 21

On 4th and 1, Sandberg checked back in and took it right up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown run. Sandberg is getting awfully close the 200-yard mark himself, and this touchdown is his fourth. With all of the touchdowns, this might actually be a better fantasy day than McLeod's. Take that, Tannenwald. More importantly, after opening the door just a bit in the 3rd quarter for Columbia, the Quakers seem to have just slammed it shut.

End of the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 21

Mike DiMaggio just took over for Sandberg in the red zone and got stuffed on 3rd and 2, bringing up a 4th and 1 from Columbia's 13. It looks like Bagnoli's going to go for it on fourth down.

1:34 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 21

Just like that, Sandberg responds with a 15-yard pick up and a 45-yard run, and Penn has worked its way into the red zone.

2:15 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 21

Wynn returned the kickoff to the 23, where he was leveled by a Columbia special-teamer. Even though Columbia's still down by a bunch, they have the momentum right now. Penn's starters remain in the game on offense, and on 1st and 10, they just got called for a false start.

2:19 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 21

Out of the shotgun, Hormann rolled right and threw an 11-yard pass right on the money to Knowlin for the touchdown. As good as Penn's run defense has been today, it's secondary has left something to be desired. Bagnoli is not happy right now, in part because of the officiating, and in part because Penn has not picked up from where it left off at the end of the first half.

3:30 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 14

A 26-yard completion on 3rd and 17 gives Columbia a first down from its own 44 yard-line. On the previous play, Ambrogi came in on a corner blitz and sacked Hormann, and he just made an open-field tackle. Now, however, another completion -- a 22-yard pass -- gives the Lions a first down on Penn's 36. Penn needs to be careful here.

6:46 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 14

As Penn lines up to punt, there's quite a bit of confusion here. The play was stopped, Norries Wilson was out on the field yelling at one of his players, and Bagnoli nearly strangled an official. After all of that, nothing happened, and Melillo punted it to Columbia's 25, where the Lions will take over. Who knows what happened, but Bagnoli is still yelling at the official during the media timeout. He better watch out; he already received a sideline warning in the first quarter, and now he's walking out onto the field to complain to the head referee. We'll find out what this ordeal is about after the game.

8:15 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 14

Columbia just marched down the field with some nice passing plays against weak Penn coverage and scored a touchdown on a short running play. The drive was 10 plays, 74 yards. The Quakers looked flat on that drive, and give credit to Columbia for hanging tough.

11:26 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 7

Columbia just moved down to Penn's 39 on a pass interference call. Most of Penn's starters on defense are still in the game, but everyone is rotating in and out.

13:03 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 7

Columbia just showed a sign of life, sacking Bryan Walker and forcing Penn to punt. The Lions will take over at their own 36.

On a related note, Mike McLeod finished with 276 yards and two touchdowns in Yale's 23-7 win over Lehigh. How does one run for 276 yards in one game? Penn will have that to look forward to next week.

14:11 to go in the 3rd quarter, Penn 45, Columbia 7

Not that the game itself really matters at this point, but Sandberg is still in the game for the Quakers. Cisler, who sat out the 2nd half last week against Georgetown along with Sandberg, is also in. Bagnoli is not letting up yet.

Halftime Stats

Sandberg has 15 carries for 11 yards and 3 touchdowns. Walker is 14-19 for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman leads all receivers with 3 catches for 39 yards. Koontz also has 3 catches for 33 yards, and Cisler has 3 catches for 24 yards. The Quakers had 17 first downs in the first half and 273 yards of total offense.

Meanwhile, Hormann is 12-26 and has thrown 2 interceptions. Jordan Davis has five carries for 5 yards. With the 90-yard completion, Austin Knowlin has 3 catches for 104 yards.

As I type this, some inebriated Columbia students are parading around the field with a banner that says "Quaker oats, go f*** goats." Yes, this game is very out of hand. They were just escorted out by security. So much for Columbia's homecoming festivities.

Columbia also has been penalized 9 times for 78 yards, and Hormann has been sacked three times.

In the second half, Penn will have a chance to score the most points in a single game in the modern era. The record is 61 points against San Diego in 2004. Chances are, Bagnoli will pull his starters, but with the way he chose to end that first half, who knows?

End of 1st half, Penn 45, Columbia 7

After first down passes to Coleman and Cisler, Bagnoli called timeout to set the Quakers up with one last play in the half. Walker dropped back and hit Lepisto for a 3-yard touchdown, capping off a 53-yard drive to end the half. The Lions are getting booed by their fans as they head off the field. The Quakers have officially spoiled the Columbia homecoming. This is the biggest blowout for the Quakers in a while. I'll try to find out just how long it's been since Penn's had this kind of first-half lead, and we'll have the halftime stats for you shortly. Also worth mentioning that by calling timeout and getting that extra touchdown, the Columbia faithful are not too pleased by Penn running up the score.

1:03 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 38, Columbia 7

I have to retract my last statement about starting Sandberg. Jon Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer has just informed me that that McLeod has 200+ yards and 2 touchdowns. In the meantime, Hormann is falling apart here. He's overthrowing his receivers, underthrowing them, and missing them altogether. Columbia looks dead. On 4th down from Penn's 47, Hormann just tried to hit Nico Gutierrez in the endzone, but Mark Washington broke it up. Penn will now take over and try to score one more before the end of the half.

3:18 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 38, Columbia 7

This is getting out of hand. Sandberg just picked up another touchdown on a 12-yard run. Columbia's just not tackling anyone. This is way too easy for Sandberg. Columbia students are starting to head for the exits, and we're still in the 2nd quarter. There might not be much of a homecoming crowd for the halftime festivities at this point. Sandberg now has 15 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns. I hope you started him in fantasy; he might have an edge on Mike McLeod this week.

4:20 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 31, Columbia 7

Columbia's woes continue, and Penn's secondary has fully recovered from its poor start. After getting backed up to 2nd and 15 after a false start, Hormann threw a bad pass that was tipped by Washington and picked off by Pat Kimener. Penn took over at the 19, and then Columbia just committed a dead-ball personal foul, moving Penn up to Columbia's 8-yard line. Columbia is really playing terribly. This isn't to take anything away from the Quakers. They could have rolled over after that 90-yard Columbia completion and touchdown. But instead, they came back with something to prove and have scored 24 points unanswered. They're knocking on the door again.

5:27 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 31, Columbia 7

Penn looks like a true Ivy League title contender right now. After a 13-yard pass to Sandberg for a first down, Sandberg carried the ball 21 yards for the touchdown, deftly changing fields to avoid the Columbia defense and get it into the endzone. Columbia certainly missed its fair share of tackles, and its run defense has been awful. Sandberg is also having an outstanding game. He had 61 yards in the first quarter, and he probably has 100 by now. I wish I could be a fly on the wall in the locker room at halftime to hear what Norries Wilson has to say to his team.

6:39 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 24, Columbia 7

Columbia just got killed on penalties, backing it all the way up to its own 8. Then, on 2nd and 25, Hormann was hit on the throw and lobbed up a duck that was tipped by Wynn and picked off by Mark Washington. The Quakers take over at Columbia's 35.

7:39 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 24, Columbia 7

After Sandberg's run, Walker rolled right and hit Koontz in the back-right corner of the endzone on a beautiful fade route. This is the best the Quakers have looked on a drive all season. In Koontz, Walker might have found a reliable target. Earlier on the drive, after a play-fake, Walker rolled right and hit Koontz for 16 yards and the first down. Penn's offense was also well-rested coming into that possession, as the touchdown return by Manning on the blocked kick kept Penn's defense out on the field for two consecutive possessions. The drive was 79 yards and 10 plays, officially.

7:47 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 17, Columbia 7

The Quakers are moving the chains very well right now. It started with a good first down run by Mike DiMaggio, who has taken the bulk of the carries this drive. First down completions to Koontz and Cisler, and then a big first down run by Sandberg, have moved Penn all the way down to Columbia's 12.

11:35 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 17, Columbia 7

On 3rd and 17, Hormann had plenty of time, but Penn had all of Columbia's receivers covered. Hormann took it himself for 5 yards, forcing Columbia to punt. After a great punt with a lot of hang time, the ball was fair caught at the 20, where the Quakers will take over. Hormann has either had no time or all kinds of time today, but Columbia simply cannot get anything going on the ground.

12:12 to go in the 2nd quarter, Penn 17, Columbia 7

On 3rd and 2 from Columbia's 32, Columbia picked up 9 yards on a pass play for another big 3rd down conversion. Chris Wynn's coverage has been a bit soft here in the early going. But on the ensuing play, Naheem Harris just sacked Hormann for a loss of 7. 2nd and 17 for Columbia. Now, Wynn just redeemed himself with a good pass break-up on 2nd and 17.

0:01 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 17, Columbia 7

WOW!!! After a crazy drive, Columbia was forced to kick a field goal. The kick was blocked, and Jordan Manning picked up the loose football and took it back to the house, 63 yards for the touchdown. The kick, which was a 45-yard attempt, barely got off the ground. Earlier, after the Lions had converted their first down, they threw another 1st down pass up to the 26. Then, on 2nd down, Jay Colabella came in tried to sack Hormann, but Hormann threw the ball into the ground, getting flagged for intentional grounding. Columbia couldn't convert the long 3rd down and was forced to kick. Penn really dodged a bullet by forcing Columbia to kick a field goal. The Quakers' secondary has looked pretty weak in the early going. Maybe the touchdown return will give them a boost. It is worth noting that Colabella and Naheem Harris are playing tremendously so far.

2:43 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 10, Columbia 7

A 21-yard completion for the Lions on 2nd and 22 and a QB sneak gets them the first down on Penn's 40.

5:24 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 10, Columbia 7

Andrew Samson hit a 33-yard field goal to put the Quakers ahead 10-7. Penn could never recover from the holding penalty, only getting the ball back to Columbia's 17. On 3rd and 12, Walker threw to fullback Nick Cisler, but the pass fell underneath Cisler, who was short of the first down anyway.

6:46 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 7, Columbia 7

Penn has moved the ball down the field effectively, in large part due to a few good carries from Sandberg and a big 12-yard run by Walker on 3rd down. On the ensuing play, he threw behind Lepisto, but Columbia was called for roughing the passer, moving Penn up to Columbia's 13. Then, on a Sandberg run, Penn was called for a hold, backing them up to the 23. Bagnoli was just called for a sideline warning.

8:13 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 7, Columbia 7

A good kickoff return by Chris Wynn to Penn's 44 yard-line gives the Quakers good field position to bounce back.

8:22 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 7, Columbia 7

Unbelievable. After a great run-stop by Naheem Harris, a sack by Jay Colabella, and a false start, Columbia was backed up inside its 10 yard-line with a 3rd and 21. Under pressure, Hormann stepped up in the pocket and aired it out to Austin Knowlin, who reeled in the pass at around Penn's 40 and took it all the way down to the 1 for a 90-yard completion. A play later, Columbia's Ray Rangel ran it into the endzone, and now we're knotted up at 7. A terrible miscue for the Quakers' secondary.

10:44 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 7, Columbia 0

It is fitting that Joe Sandberg would finish off Penn's 55-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. He absolutely tore apart Columbia's defense on this drive. On 3rd down from midfield, Sandberg ran for 26 yards into Columbia's territory, and followed up that run with another 11-yard, first-down carry. He looks perfectly healthy so far, and if he keeps this up, it will be a long day for Columbia. The drive was seven plays, 55 yards.

13:34 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 0, Columbia 0

A successful beginning for the Quakers, as they force a three-and-out. On third and four, Jay Colabella came in on the blitz and sacked Craig Hormann for a 13-yard loss, stripping the ball in the process. Columbia was forced to punt, and the Quakers took over at the 45 yard-line.

14:52 to go in the 1st quarter, Penn 0, Columbia 0

Columbia just returned the kickoff to the 30 yard-line, and we are underway.