Date & Time: Saturday, September 18, 2021 – Noon ET
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Stadium: Yale Bowl (60,000)
Tickets: Buy Now
Series: Yale leads, 29-5
Last Meeting: Yale 23, Holy Cross 10 – 9/21/19
Video: ESPN+, Ron Vaccaro (play-by-play), Jack Siedlecki (color), Jack Ford (color)
Live Stats: Click here
Two Deeps: Yale - Holy Cross
GAME NOTES


NEW HAVEN, Conn. - After 22 long months, the Bulldogs (0-0) are finally back on the gridiron and they do so as the defending Ivy League Champions. Yale returns to the spot of arguably the greatest playing of The Game ever for their 2021 opener as they welcome Holy Cross (1-1) to the Yale Bowl.

The Series
Saturday's matchup is the 35th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the Crusaders. Yale leads the series 29-5. The Elis were victorious in the 2019 season opener at the Yale Bowl, 23-10. The Bulldogs have not lost to Holy Cross at home since 1982.

Bulldog Breakdown
After winning two of the past three Ivy League Championship, head coach Tony Reno looks to remain the class of the conference with a strong start to the 2021 season. While the Bulldogs have not played a game in 22 months, they do return a great deal of experience. All but one of Yale's set-to-graduate Class of 2021 has returned for this season as the Yale roster now boasts 126 student-athletes. 

Four All-Ivy League performers return from the 2019 squad in seniors Zane Dudek (RB), Melvin Rouse (WR), Cam Warfield (OL) and Rodney Thomas (LB/DB) in addition to 2021 captain, John Dean (LB).

Additionally, Yale boasts two of the past three Ivy League Rookies of the Year as Dudek (2017) is joined by quarterback Griffin O'Connor (2018). O'Connor takes on the starting role a season after Kurt Rawlings, the 2019 Bushnell Cup winner, re-wrote the Yale record book with every career passing record.

The offense will need to replace all-time producers JP Shohfi and Reed Klubnik at wide receiver but with Rouse moving back to offense after playing cornerback in 2019 and senior All-Ivy tight end JJ Howland returning from injury, the Bulldogs have two talented performers to join rising sophomore Mason Tipton and senior Darrion Carrington out wide.

The Yale defense returns six of its top seven tacklers from 2019 and once again looks to use a plethora of options along the line and second and third levels. The Bulldogs held Holy Cross to just 10 points in their last meeting but the Crusaders have averaged nearly 30 points over their first two games.

Yale was picked second in the 2021 Ivy League preseason media poll, just behind Princeton. The Bulldogs were also recognized with 12 Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy League selections: First Team (Dudek, Nick Gargiulo, Rouse), Second Team (Tipton, Thomas, Joey Felton,) and Third Team (O'Connor, Howland, Warfield, Tate Goodyear, Micah Awodiran, Nick Tibbetts).

Scouting Holy Cross
The Crusaders started the 2021 season off with an FBS victory, winning at UConn, 38-28, for their first Bowl Subdivision victory since 2002. Holy Cross vaulted into the STATS FCS Top-25 poll at No. 24 but were upended by Merrimack last week in their home opener, 35-21. The Crusaders are still receiving votes in the poll.

Holy Cross was selected atop the Preseason Patriot League Poll as they aim to defend their conference title for the second-straight season.

This season, quarterback Matt Sluka paces the offense as a dual threat from the backfield. He leads Holy Cross with 260 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air as well as 152 rushing yards and a running score. 

Running back Tyler Purdy racked up 94 yards on the ground and matched Sluka with a rushing TD while backfield mate Peter Oliver has 79 yards. 

Four Crusader receivers have at least 69 yards with Tenio Ayeni leading the way with 89 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Gilliam is just behind with 82 yards through the air and two receiving scores.

On defense, Jacob Dobbs has a team-high 29 tackles, including 15 solo stops. Additionally, he has a team-high three quarterback hits and two pass breakups. The Bulldogs will also have to deal with Liam Anderson who has two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. In the secondary, John Smith has a team high two interceptions. 
 

In the Polls
The Bulldogs ended the 2019 season ranked in both national polls after its 9-1, Ivy League Championship season. They finished the season at No. 24 in the STATS FCS Poll and No. 25 in the AFCA rankings. After missing the 2020 season, Yale aims for a return to national recognition. 

Yale is currently receiving two votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll, as one of two Ivy League schools involved the rankings. Princeton is just behind with one vote.

Holy Cross vaulted into the rankings at No. 24 after their win vs. Holy Cross and are still receiving votes in the STATS poll this week after the loss to Merrimack. 

The Captain
Yale football continued its tradition of student-athletes selecting its lone senior captain the day after the Bulldogs won a share of the Ivy League Championship. When the votes were tallied it was rising senior linebacker John Dean who was chosen to lead the Elis. 

A 6-foot-1, 224-pound defensive starter this past season, Dean takes the baton from JP Shohfi, who led a 27-man senior class to the top of the mountain in 2019. Dean, a Wrentham, Mass., native, started every game for the Bulldogs in its 9-1, Ivy League Championship season.

"Being selected by your peers is the ultimate honor," said head coach Tony Reno. "John has an incredible work ethic and a driven group of classmates that will help him lead Team 148."

Dean was third on the team with 18 assisted tackles and ranked seventh with 32 total tackles in 2019. He was no stranger to playing behind the line with 5.5 tackles for loss while also posting a sack and interception in his third season. He has already played in 28 career games for Yale with 88 tackles, four sacks and two picks.