Bucknell at Yale
Sat., Oct. 15 – Noon
Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field
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Yale Game Notes | Bucknell Game Notes
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale football team reaches the midway point of the 2022 season when Bucknell visits Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field for a noon kickoff on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won three straight games and sit at 2-0 in Ivy League play as they get set for the final non-conference game of the year.
 
The Bulldogs (3-1, 2-0 Ivy) are coming off an impressive 24-21 victory over Dartmouth in a game that wasn't decided until Hamilton Moore intercepted Big Green quarterback Dylan Cadwallader with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the second career pick for Moore. The first came against Howard the previous week.
 
Offensively, Yale continued to have great success on the ground, rushing for 283 yards. Tre Peterson led the way with 173 yards and one touchdown, while quarterback Nolan Grooms added 90 rushing yards and a touchdown.
 
Behind an experienced and talented offensive line, Peterson is averaging 7.4 yards per carry, which is seventh in all of FCS. He has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and was selected as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and as the Week 6 recipient of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award.
 
Through four games, the Bulldogs are averaging 247 rushing yards per game, which is fifth in the nation.
 
In addition, Yale leads the nation with only one sack allowed in four games.
 
Grooms also had an effective day throwing the ball against the Big Green, completing 19-of-22 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. Grooms is completing 61.9 percent of his passes on the season and has thrown for 566 yards and four touchdowns.
 
David Pantelis, who caught all eight balls thrown his way against Dartmouth, leads the team with 19 receptions. Mason Tipton has 17 catches.
 
Moore's heroics earned him Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors. In addition to his game-clinching interception, he led the team with nine tackles, including seven solo stops.
 
The Bulldogs limited Dartmouth to 20 yards rushing in the game and had two sacks – from Clay Patterson and Tamatoa McDonough. Yale has 15 sacks on the season and is ninth in the country in team sacks at 3.75 per game.
 
SCOUTING BUCKNELL
 
The Bison (0-5) have played a challenging schedule thus far, including against FBS opponent Central Michigan and nationally ranked Holy Cross. Quarterback Ethan Grady has thrown for 507 yards and two touchdowns this season. His two favorite targets are running back Coleman Bennett, who leads the team with 11 receptions, and Damian Harris, who has caught 10 passes for a team-high 129 yards. Rushawn Baker is the team's leading rusher with 232 yards. Defensively, Blake Leake tops the Bison with 37 tackles. Bucknell has eight sacks on the season.
 
HISTORY LESSONS
 
Surprisingly, Yale and Bucknell are playing for just the fifth time, and the Bulldogs hold a 3-1 advantage in the series. All four games have been played at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field. The last meeting was a 25-24 Bison victory in 1997. In 1996, Yale edged Bucknell 23-21. The first meeting was a 36-5 Bulldog victory in 1902. In 1923, Yale beat the Bison 29-14.