Date & Time: Saturday, October 30, 2021 – Noon ET
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Stadium: Yale Bowl
Tickets: Buy Now
Series: 98th Meeting; Yale leads, 73-22-2
Last Meeting: Yale 45, Columbia 10, 11/2/19
TV: ESPN+: Ron Vaccaro (play-by-play) & Jack Siedlecki (color)
Live Stats: Click here
Two Deeps: Yale (PDF) -- Penn (PDF) 
Game Notes  (PDF)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Bulldogs (3-3 overall, 2-1 Ivy) play their penultimate home game on Saturday at the Yale Bowl against Columbia (5-1 overall, 2-1 Ivy). Both teams are in a four-way tie for second place in the Ivy League which sets up a pivotal game for both squads with just four games remaining in the chase for the Ivy Championship. Yale got back on the winning track with a 42-28 home victory over Penn last week while Columbia went up to Dartmouth and blanked the Big Green, 19-0. Both teams are receiving votes in the latest AFCA FCS Top-25 poll.

The Series

Saturday's matchup is the 98th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the Lions. The Elis lead the series 73-22-2. Columbia was Yale's first ever opponent in November of 1872, a game the Bulldogs won, 3-0. Yale sprinted past the Lions in their last meeting in 2019, 45-10. Yale has won five of the past seven meetings.

Bulldog Breakdown

Yale rebounded from back-to-back road losses for the first time since 2012 and consecutive losses for the first time since 2018. The Bulldogs ran past Penn last week at the Yale Bowl thanks to sophomore quarterback Nolan Grooms who made his first career start and went on to set career highs across the board, including four total touchdowns as he was named the Ivy League Player of the Week.

The dual-threat QB led the Elis in both passing and rushing as he registered 396 yards of total offense. Grooms' career highs included 18-of-27 passes for 283 yards, two touchdowns through the air, 16 carries, 113 rushing yards and two ground scores. Grooms did not lose yardage on any of his 16 carries.

Grooms wasn't Yale's only Ivy League honoree as sophomore kicker and punter Jack Bosman was recognized as the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week. Bosman did it all for the Bulldog special teams unit as he went a perfect 6-of-6 on extra points, handled seven kickoffs and punted three times, putting one inside the 20-yard line.

The sophomore class has been standout for the Yale offense as Mason Tipton posted game highs against Penn with five catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. He leads the Bulldogs in receiving yards (366) and touchdowns (three) and ranks eighth in the nation with 21.53 yards per catch.

On the other side of the ball, Yale's defensive unit has been strong all season and continues to lead the nation in third down conversion percentage (.213). The unit has only allowed 99 total first downs this year which ranks 10th nationally. The D also has high marks across the country in tackles for loss (seventh, 8.0), sacks, (seventh, 3.5), total defense (13th, 281.2) rushing defense (17th, 106.7), scoring defense (19th, 18.3) and passing yards allowed (21st, 174.5)

Senior captain John Dean leads the defense with 43 tackles and picked up his first sack of the year last week. Nine different Bulldogs have been in on sacks this season. Sophomore lineman Clay Patterson leads the Elis and ranks second in the country with 9.5 sacks this season.

The win last Saturday vs. Penn will always hold special meaning to head coach Tony Reno as he became just the sixth coach in Yale history to reach the 50-win plateau. He joins an impressive Yale wins list: Carm Cozza (179), Jack Siedlecki (70), Walter Camp (67), Jordan Olivar (61) and T.A.D. Jones (60).

Scouting Columbia

The Lions are coming off of a huge road win, 19-0, at then-No. 25 Dartmouth last week, handing the Big Green their first loss of the season and their first shutout loss in a decade. It was the first shutout for the Columbia defense in 112 games.

Columbia opened the season with home wins over Marist (37-14) and Georgetown (35-24) and earned a road win at Central Connecticut State (22-20) in week four. The Lions have also topped Penn (23-14) at home in week five and its lone loss of the season came in week three at Princeton (24-7).

The Lions boast the Ivy League Rookie of the Week in quarterback Joe Green. The sophomore QB (who did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19), led the charge with a passing touchdown and 98 yards on 14-of-22 throws in addition to 19 yards on the ground. His key five-yard gain on a 4th-and-4 led to a 3-0 Columbia lead before a fourth down pass conversion late in the third led to the touchdown. He is Columbia's fourth Ivy League honoree this season.

Green has totaled 895 yards passing on 87-of-141 attempts this season with four touchdowns to one interception. The Lions rely heavily on running back Dante Miller who averages 6.5 yards per carry with two touchdowns and 608 rushing yards through six games. Fellow back Ryan Young has also been very active for the Lions with 72 carries for 287 yards.

Green's favorite target has been wide receiver Marcus Libman who leads the team with 21 catches. Ernes Robertson has been the team's deep threat as he leads Columbia with 244 yards receiving on just 10 catches. 10 different Lions have caught passes this year with five with 10-or-more.

Columbia's defense has been strong all season as the 12th ranked scoring defense (16.0 points per game) in the country. Standout safety Ben Mathiasmeier leads the way with 35 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups. Linebacker Cam Dillon leads the Lions with seven sacks and nine tackles for loss and ranks second on the team with 31 tackles and an interception.