Perhaps I should have started this earlier but better late than never.  Here is the first installment of 4-down Friday, a look at four things to keep an eye on heading into Saturday's game...
1.  QB play: We won't know who will start under center for Yale until kickoff. If Eric Williams is somehow able to go, how effective can he really be? If it's Derek Russell, he is a dual threat. But will his limited arm strength limit the offense? And if Yale is forced to roll with WR-turned-QB Henry Furman, is he good enough to manage an offense after not having played the position is six months?
2. One-two punch: If Tony Reno continues to use both Mordecai Cargill and Tyler Varga in the backfield, that could cause quite a headache for Columbia. Varga rushed for 96 yards on 26 carries and Cargill added 43 yards on seven rushes.
3. Top target: Columbia QB Sean Brackett likes to go to his TE Hamilton Garner. Garner’s size (6-5, 234) makes him a tough matchup and he has 17 catches for 233 yards this season. Yale needs to limit his looks.
4. Slipping away: Columbia has been outscored 50-13 in the fourth quarter this season and the Lions let a lead slip away in the fourth for the second straight game last week. Columbia fell 21-16 to Dartmouth.