Princeton Spoils Columbia’s Chances for an Unbeaten Season

It would have been a nice story: Columbia, which lost a Division I record 44 games in a row in the mid-1980s, going undefeated.

Well, it’s not going to happen. The Lions were upset, 14-11, by Ivy League rival Princeton on Saturday.

The loss dropped Columbia to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Ivy League. Columbia hadn’t opened a season 7-0 since 1932 and hadn’t won seven in a row since 1934-35.

Columbia had a chance to send Saturday’s game into overtime, but Matt Linit missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt with 13 seconds left. Linit missed a 37-yard attempt in the third quarter.

Lion quarterback Bobby Thomason, who had previously thrown just four interceptions this season, had three intercepted by Princeton (2-5, 1-3), which took a 14-0 lead before Columbia rallied.