Columbia tops Cornell 17-9 to earn share of Ivy League title for first time since 1961
The Columbia players celebrates after beating Cornell in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in New York. Credit: AP/Ron Blum
NEW YORK — Joey Giorgi ran for 165 yards and scored a touchdown and Columbia beat Cornell 17-9 on Saturday and earned a share of the Ivy League title on the season's last day on Saturday.
Columbia (7-3, 5-2) received help from Yale which beat Harvard (8-2, 5-2) 34-29. Dartmouth (8-2, 5-2) also forged its way to the top of the Ivy League standings when it drubbed Brown 56-28, also on Saturday.
Last year Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale all finished 5-2 to share the league championship. Prior to 2023, the last time the Ivy League champion had two losses was 1982 when Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn all finished 5-2.
Also prior to 2023, the last time there was a three-way tie for the title was 2015 when Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn all finished 6-1.
Columbia's share of the title marked only the program’s second all-time and its first since 1961. As for Cornell (4-6, 3-4), the Big Red were attempting to post their first winning Ivy League campaign since 2005.
Caleb Sanchez's 1-yard run ended a 10-play, 61-yard drive whcih lasted just more than four minutes that gave Columbia a 7-0 lead with 6:30 left in the first quarter.
With six seconds before halftime, Giorgi crashed in from the 1 at the end of a three-play, 76-yard drive that was highlighted by Sanchez's 73-yard completion to Ethan Hebb on the first play of the drive. The score made it 14-3.
The Columbia football team celebrates after beating Cornell in an NCAA college footbsall game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in New York. Credit: AP/Ron Blum
Cornell quarterback James Wang threw for 154 yards and a pair of interceptions and ran 20 times for 97 yards. The Big Red's points came from place kicker Alan Zhao who made 3 of 4 and connected from 45, 34 and 22 yards.
