1987 Columbia Lions football team

1987 Columbia Lions football
Conference	Ivy League
Record	0–10 (0–7 Ivy)
Head coach	Larry McElreavy (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Bill Narduzzi (2nd season)
Captain	Mike Bissinger
Home stadium	Wien Stadium

1987 Ivy League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Harvard $	6	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Brown	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Yale	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Princeton	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Cornell	4	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Penn	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Dartmouth	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
Columbia	0	–	7	–	0			0	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1987 Columbia Lions football team was an American football team that represented Columbia University during the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Amid a record-setting loss streak, Columbia finished last in the Ivy League.

In their second season under head coach Larry McElreavy, the Lions compiled an 0–10 record and were outscored 311 to 104. Mike Bissinger was the team captain.^[1]

The Lions' winless (0–7) conference record was the worst in the Ivy League standings. Columbia was outscored 185 to 67 by Ivy opponents.^[2]

By losing all of their games in 1987, the Lions extended a winless streak and a losing streak that began in 1983. The team would later set a Division I record for consecutive games without a win, 47. It would not win or tie another game until October 9, 1988, a win.^[3] At the end of 1987, the streak stood at 44 games without a win, and 41 straight losses.

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

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	Harvard	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 0–35	6,449	[4]
September 26	at Lafayette*	Fisher Field Easton, PA	L 7–38	9,100	[5]
October 3	Penn	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 0–23	4,150	[6]
October 10	at Princeton	Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 8–38	11,247	[7]
October 17	Yale	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 13–27	7,750	[8]
October 24	at Bucknell*	Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	L 20–62	7,330	[9]
October 31	Lehigh*	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 10–26	3,415	[10]
November 7	Dartmouth	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 10–12	6,875	[11]
November 14	at Cornell	Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY (rivalry)	L 20–31	7,500	[12]
November 21	at Brown	Brown Stadium Providence, RI	L 16–19	27,050	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Columbia Football 2019 Record Book". New York, N.Y.: Columbia University. p. 215. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
2. "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. p. 32. 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. Powers, John (September 20, 1987). "Harvard Jolts Columbia, 35-0". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 60 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Meixell, Ted (September 27, 1987). "Lafayette Deals 33rd Loss in Row to Columbia". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C5 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Juliano, Joe (October 4, 1987). "Quakers Overcome Early Scare; Columbia Drops 34th in Row, 23-0". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 11-D – via Newspapers.com.
7. Grumhaus, David (October 11, 1987). "Columbia Sets Mark for Losses; Princeton Rolls; Lions' Streak 35". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 11-D – via Newspapers.com.
8. Smith, George (October 18, 1987). "Yale Defeats Columbia, 27-13". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. E11 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Once Upon a Time, Columbia Was a Streak Breaker ... but the Current Skid Still Hasn't Stopped". The Daily News. Lebanon, Pa. Associated Press. October 25, 1987. pp. 6C, 4C – via Newspapers.com.
10. Groller, Keith (November 1, 1987). "Lehigh Extends Columbia Skid". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "A Missed Field Goal, a 39th Columbia Loss". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. Associated Press. November 8, 1987. p. 13-D – via Newspapers.com.
12. Van Sickle, Kenny (November 16, 1987). "Cornell Extends Columbia's Streak". The Ithaca Journal. Ithaca, N.Y. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Columbia Streak Hits 41; Brown Wins 19-16 on TD with :47 Left". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. Associated Press. November 22, 1987. pp. E9, E12 – via Newspapers.com.