Date & Time: Saturday, October 5, 2019 – 1 p.m. ET
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Stadium: Yale Bowl (61,446)
Tickets: Buy Now
Series: Yale leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Yale 41, Fordham 10 – 2017
Video: ESPN+, Josh Hess (play-by-play), Adam Breneman (color)
Radio: WELI 960 AM, Ron Vaccaro (play-by-play), Jack Siedlecki (color)
Live Stats: Click here
Game Notes: Yale PDF, Ivy League PDF

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Team 147 has broken in its new home playing surface with two victories to start the 2019 season. The Yale Football Team (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) hosts its third straight game on the Class of 1954 Field at Yale Bowl this Saturday on Family Weekend when Fordham (2-3, 0-0 Patriot) comes to town for a 1 p.m. non-league contest that airs live on ESPN+.

SERIES
This is the 10th meeting with Yale holding a 6-3 edge.
First meeting:   1950 at Yale Bowl, Yale won 24-14
Last meeting:    2017 at Jack Coffey Field, Yale won 41-10

BULLDOGS
Yale, which continues to receive votes in both the STATS FCS and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) national rankings, erased a second-half deficit with a 22-yard pick-six by junior LB Rodney Thomas II, who also had a 30-yard interception return as the Elis forced four turnovers in a 27-16 win over Cornell last week. Thomas earned Yale's first league player of the week honor while scoring his team's first touchdown of the day. Senior QB Kurt Rawlings connected with rookie WR Mason Tipton, senior Sam Tuckerman booted a pair of field goals and senior WR JP Shohfi returned an onside kick for a TD as the Elis turned it on over the last two quarters. Sophomore DB Dathan Hickey also had a pair of interceptions while senior DL Spencer Matthaei blocked an extra point kick.

RAMS
The last time Fordham's second-year head coach Joe Conlin stood on the playing surface at Yale Bowl, he was celebrating a win over Harvard and a 2017 Ivy League Championship as the Elis' offensive coordinator. Conlin's Rams, which include former Yale captain and assistant coach Paul Rice on the staff, are coming off a win at home over Richmond last Saturday. Fordham erased a 10-0 deficit to earn a 23-16 victory with sophomore QB Tim Demorat tossing a pair of scoring passes to classmate WR Fotis Kokosioulis. Tristan Wheeler led the Ram defense with nine solos and 13 overall tackles.

BITES
This is the first time Tony Reno, Yale's Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach, has ever faced a former assistant coach leading an opponent… Reno earned his 40th career victory last week… JP Shohfi, senior WR Reed Klubnik and Mason Tipton each caught four passes for the Elis while junior RB Zane Dudek led the team with 91 yards rushing… Junior LB Micah Awodiran led the Blue in tackles with six solos and 10 overall… Sophomore DE Oso Ifesinachukwu had the team's one sack, one of six Yale tackles for lost yardage.

THE 2017 YALE-FORDHAM GAME
The Bulldogs were barking in the Bronx as soon as they got off the bus, rolling to a 41-10 win. The Elis jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the Rams could figure out what was happening. Quarterback Kurt Rawlings completed his first 14 passing attempts before finishing 18 of 20 for 189 yards and a score while playing less than three full quarters. The versatile signal-caller also hurt Fordham with his feet, running for 25 yards on four plays and helping his team total 472 yards of offense. Patrick Conte, who has been playing a lot of tight end for the 2019 team, had the snaps in the fourth while Melvin Rouse II had five catches. Yale went on to a 9-1 season and its first outright league championship in 37 years, while the Rams went 4-7 and ended up hiring Joe Conlin from the Eli staff after the season./////////////