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Penn squeezes past Columbia

Columbia fell in a close game to the Penn Quakers. (AP file photo)
Columbia fell in a close game to the Penn Quakers. (AP file photo)Read more

Penn's recent dominance of Columbia in football has continued — barely.

Billy Ragone's 6-yard scoring pass to Lyle Marsh in the back of the end zone with 50 seconds left gave Penn a 24-20 victory over Columbia in a back-and-forth Ivy League game at Franklin Field.

Penn (2-3 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) has won 16 in a row over the Lions. Columbia's last win over Penn came on Oct. 12, 1996 when the Lions earned a 20-19 victory at Franklin Field.

Trailing 20-17 and taking possession on the Penn 38-yard line with 2 minutes and 26 seconds left, Ragone led the winning eight-play, 62-yard drive, capped by Marsh's game-winning touchdown.

"It was a broken play," said Ragone, who completed 18 of 34 passes for 181 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while running for 66 yards on 13 carries. "I broke the pocket and he [Marsh] kind of slipped to the back of the end zone and I threw it up to him and he came down with it for a big play for us."

After the score, Columbia (1-4, 0-2) drove deep into Quakers territory but the game ended on a 17-yard completion from Sean Brackett to Garner Hamilton, who was tackled by Dan Wilk on the 2-yard line as time expired.

"That final drive we are just trying to keep them out of the end zone," said Penn defensive tackle Brandon Copeland, who had eight tackles and two tackles for loss.

Columbia seemed in command when running back Marcorus Garrett scored his second touchdown of the game, a 31-yard run that increased the Lions' lead to 20-10 with 10:57 left.

Showing a sense of urgency with its hurry-up offense, Penn got within 20-17 on Ragone's 16-yard scoring pass to tight end Mitchell King with 7:27 left.

Up to that drive, Columbia was clearly outplaying the Quakers. For the game Columbia gained 486 yards from scrimmage.