Date & Time: Saturday, September 28, 2019 – 1 p.m. ET
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Stadium: Yale Bowl (61,446)
Tickets: Buy Now
Series: Yale leads, 49-30-2
Last Meeting: Yale 30, Cornell 24 – 9/22/18
Video: ESPN+, Josh Hess (play-by-play), Jack Ford (color)
Radio: WELI 960 AM, Ron Vaccaro (play-by-play), Jack Siedlecki (color)
Live Stats: Click here
Game Notes: YALE -- CORNELL -- IVY LEAGUE
 
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale (1-0) football looks to keep things rolling with a three-game homestand to start the season as the Bulldogs kick off Ivy League play against Cornell (1-0) at the Yale Bowl on Saturday, September 28, at 1 p.m., on ESPN+.
 
The Series
Saturday's matchup is the 82^nd all-time meeting as Yale leads the series 49-30-2. The Bulldogs have won 13 of the last 18 meetings, seven of the last 10 as well as the past two meetings. The Elis have not lost to Cornell at home since 2009 (14-12).
 
Receiving Recognition
Yale continues to receive votes in both the STATS FCS and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top-25 poll. The Bulldogs have 48 votes in STATS's rankings along with Princeton (268) and Dartmouth (86) who are both just outside top-25 (No. 25 – Citadel, 339). Yale has 15 votes in the AFCA poll which gives them the 29th-most votes in the nation. Additionally, three Bulldogs were tabbed to the Ivy League Honor Roll after Yale's 23-10 win over Holy Cross: senior quarterback Kurt Rawlings, senior defensive lineman Spencer Matthaei and first year punter Jack Bosman.
 
Bulldog Breakdown
Yale University opened its 147th season of collegiate football with a home victory over Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon at the Yale Bowl, 23-10. The Bulldogs totaled 507 yards of offense, including 276 yards on the ground while the defense stood strong as it allowed just 11 first downs.
 
The Elis scored on the very first drive of the year, capped by a two-yard rush by junior Zane Dudek and never looked back. Holy Cross got a field goal in the second quarter to get on the board for a 6-3 mark at the half but the Yale offense answered in the second half with 17 points to seal the win.
 
Senior quarterback Kurt Rawlings was involved on the Bulldogs' second two touchdowns, throwing a 24-yard strike to classmate Caden Herring five minutes into the third quarter and added a rushing score of his own with just over nine minutes left to play. Rawlings finished with 232 yards through the air and totaled 58 on the ground.
 
The Elis also spread the wealth in the air as eight different receivers caught passes. Five boasted at least two receptions and six had at least 24 yards.
 
On defense, the Bulldogs held Holy Cross to only 237 yards of total offense and only 145 yards through the air. Yale forced the Crusaders into eight punts and a combined 2-of-14 on third and fourth downs.
 
Senior lineman Spencer Matthaei led way in the trenches with four tackles including three for loss and a sack. Defensive back Kyle Ellis was also extremely active with five tackles, four solo, and two pass breakups.
 
The victory was the 39^th for head coach Tony Reno who is in his eighth season at the helm of the Bulldogs. The Elis have now won their last two home openers and are 7-1 in Yale Bowl openers during Reno's tenure. The Elis are also 5-2 in second games of the season under Reno.
 
Scouting Cornell
The Big Red limited Marist to just two rushing yards in their season-opening win last Saturday. That included zero yard in five cracks inside the one-yard line with goal to go. Cornell opened its 2019 season with a 21-7 victory as the Red Foxes fell to 1-2.
 
Cornell's defense held Marist to 220 yards of offense and eight first downs while controlling the ball for 40:06. It was the Big Red's first season-opening win since 2016 and by its largest margin since topping Bucknell 45-13 - exactly six years to the date in head coach David Archer's coaching debut.
 
Senior captain Jelani Taylor had a team-best six tackles and a tackle for loss, while David Jones had five stops, 1.5 tackles for a loss, three pass breakups and an interception to lead the way. Nathaniel Weber, a senior making his first collegiate start, notched five tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win. Jones was recognized as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
 
The offense piled up 419 yards, including 263 on the ground, and moved the chains 21 times. Cornell converted all three fourth down attempts as its defense stopped all four of Marist's. Harold Coles recorded his sixth career 100-yard rushing game with 127 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Mike Catanese added 79 yards and two scores. He also completed 15-of-20 passes for 130 yards. John Fitzgerald led eight receivers with at least a catch with a pair of receptions for 46 yards.