1988 Columbia Lions football team

The 1988 Columbia Lions football team was an American football team that represented Columbia University during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Columbia ended a five-year losing streak with two wins, and tied for next-to-last in the Ivy League.

1988 Columbia Lions football
ConferenceIvy League
1988 record2–8 (2–5 Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainJohn Alex
Home stadiumWien Stadium
1988 Ivy League football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Penn + 6 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
Cornell + 6 –1 –0  7 –2 –1
Princeton 4 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
Dartmouth 4 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Yale 3 –3 –1  3 –6 –1
Columbia 2 –5 –0  2 –8 –0
Harvard 2 –5 –0  2 –8 –0
Brown 0 –6 –1  0 –9 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions

In their third and final season under head coach Larry McElreavy, the Lions compiled a 2–8 record and were outscored 303 to 140. John Alex was the team captain.[1]

The Lions' 2–5 conference record tied for sixth in the Ivy League standings. Columbia was outscored 177 to 103 by Ivy opponents.[2]

After losing all of their games in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987, Columbia entered the season on a 44-game winless streak, and 41-game loss streak, dating back to the 1983 season. Both were all-time NCAA Division I football records at the time. By registering a victory over Princeton in the fourth week of the 1988 season, Columbia ended the streak at 44 straight losses and 47 games without a win.[3]

Columbia played its homes games at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in Upper Manhattan, in New York City.

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 17 at Harvard
L 7–41 9,000 [4]
September 24 No. 12 Lafayette*
  • Wien Stadium
  • New York, NY
L 3–49 6,560 [5]
October 1 at Penn
L 10–24 11,640 [6]
October 8 Princeton
  • Wien Stadium
  • New York, NY
W 16–13 5,420 [3]
October 15 at Yale
L 10–24 16,346 [7]
October 22 Bucknell*
  • Wien Stadium
  • New York, NY
L 7–21 3,825 [8]
October 29 at Lehigh*
L 27–56 7,250 [9]
November 5 at Dartmouth
L 10–20 3,760 [10]
November 12 Cornell
  • Wien Stadium
  • New York, NY (rivalry)
L 19–42 8,308 [11]
November 19 Brown
  • Wien Stadium
  • New York, NY
W 31–13 5,565 [12]

References
  1. "Columbia Football 2019 Record Book". New York, N.Y.: Columbia University. p. 216. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  2. "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. pp. 32–33. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. Goodman, Brett (October 9, 1988). "Columbia Ends 44-Game Loss Skid". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1-F – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Monahan, Bob (September 18, 1988). "Harvard Extends Columbia's Skid to 42". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 54 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Lafayette Sends Columbia to 43d Straight Loss, 49-3". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. September 25, 1988. p. 81 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Missanelli, M.G. (October 2, 1988). "Penn Extends Columbia's Streak of Defeats to 44". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 13-E – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Rieber, Anthony (October 16, 1988). "Yale Stumbles Past Columbia". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Guerrini Stars as Bucknell Downs Columbia 21-7". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. October 23, 1988. pp. 27, 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Lehigh 56, Columbia 27". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. October 30, 1988. p. 64 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Dartmouth 20, Columbia 10". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. November 6, 1988. p. 78 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Curry, Jack (November 13, 1988). "Cornell Routs Columbia by 42-19". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  12. Cavanaugh, Jack (November 20, 1988). "Lions (2-8) Have Best Season Since '78". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S4.
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