Smith's record day helps Columbia defeat Princeton 28-24

Sep 30, 2017, 10:25 pm

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Anders Hill connected with Ronald Smith II for a 63-yard touchdown with 1:12 to play, Ben McKeighan followed with a game-saving interception and Columbia defeated defending league co-champion Princeton 28-24 in an Ivy League opener on Saturday.

Hill tossed a short slant to Smith who turned it into the winning touchdown. Hill threw for 400 yards, the first Lion to do that since 2011, and Smith had 10 receptions for a school-record 236 yards and two touchdowns.

McKeighan's second interception of the day -- at the Lions' 28 with 32 seconds left -- allowed Columbia (3-0) to snap a six-game losing streak against the Tigers (2-1), start a season 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and win four straight for the first time since the '96 team started 6-0.

Chad Kanoff hit Stephan Carlson for a 27-yard touchdown with 2:48 to play to Princeton up in a wild fourth quarter that saw both teams come up with big turnovers and Columbia make a goal-line stand on first-and-3.

Kanoff threw for 312 yards and three scores and Carlson had eight catches for 126 yards

Princeton and Columbia have played each other in the league opener every season since 2000, and this was only the third time that both were 2-0. The Tigers won the first two meetings.

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