Fans donned face paint and other accessories for this year's homecoming game, pitting the Columbia Lions against Ivy League rivals the Dartmouth Big Green.

Columbia struck on their first possession, effectively passing and running the ball on their way to an 80 yard touchdown drive.

The remainder of the first half saw both teams do a lot of kicking and booting. Columbia led 7-3 at the half.

Dartmouth racked up 14 unanswered points in under ten minutes to take a 17-7 lead. The Big Green had the football for 10 and a half of the quarter's fifteen minutes.

Columbia faithful prayed for a rally, and they got one, when Dartmouth quarterback Conner Kempe fumbled in Lion territory. Columbia would take possession and put it in the endzone for six.

What followed was a folly of fumbles. After Dartmouth fumbled on the kickoff return, Columbia would give the ball back two plays later, only for Dartmouth to give it right back to them on the very next play. Columbia would capitalize on these mistakes and take a 21-17 lead with under 8 minutes left in regulation.

Columbia's defense could not hold the line and Dartmouth moved the ball down the field at will, completing on three third downs and one fourth down conversion. Dartmouth running back Nick Schwieger ended his 128 yard day with a touchdown run.

A field goal could have sent this one into overtime, but Brackett overthrew his receivers and could not muster up the yards necessary to put his team in field goal range. With their close defeat at homecoming, Columbia's record falls to 3-3.

"We don't get consistent kicks, we don't get consistent coverage, so I'm not very happy with the results," says coach Norries Wilson. "Dartmouth's a good team, we didn't give the game to them, they came out there and beat us. We have to execute in all three phases of the game, if we have a chance to win the football game, and we didn't execute, not consistently, in all three phases of the game."