Yale at Penn
Sat., Oct. 22 – 1 p.m.
Philadelphia, Pa.
ESPN+ Video | Live Stats
Yale Game Notes | Penn Game Notes
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – It's back to Ivy League play for Team 149 this week, and it figures to provide a stiff test. The Bulldogs travel to Philadelphia to meet unbeaten Penn at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field.
 
Yale (4-1) has won four straight games, including each of its first two Ivy contests. The Quakers are 5-0 overall and also 2-0 in Ivy play.
 
The Bulldogs are coming off a 29-9 win over Bucknell in the final non-conference game of the season last Saturday at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field. It was a big day for quarterback Nolan Grooms, who rushed for three touchdowns and threw for one. Grooms has excelled with both his arm and legs this fall. He is averaging 81.8 yards rushing per game, while completing nearly 61 percent of his passes for 155 yards per game.
 
Yale, which averages 27.8 points per game, leads the Ivy League and is seventh in the nation in rushing offense at 242.4 yards per game.
 
In addition to Grooms, Tre Peterson, who leads the team with 440 yards rushing, and first year Joshua Pitsenberger (277 yards) have contributed to the ground attack. Peterson is 10^th in the FCS in yards per carry (7.10), while Pitsenberger was named to the watch list of the 2022 Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the national freshman of the year in college football's Division I subdivision, on Thursday.
 
Yale's rushing success can also be attributed to a talented and experienced offensive line, which also has done an excellent job in protecting Grooms. The Bulldogs are sixth in the nation in sacks allowed (0.80 per game).
 
Defensively, Yale is ninth in the country in team tackles for loss (7.8 per game) and 14^th in team sacks (3.20 per game).
 
In last week's victory, the Bulldogs limited Bucknell to just 102 passing yards.
 
Yale had only a 7-3 lead at halftime last week but outscored the Bison 22-6 over the final 30 minutes, including 13-0 in the fourth quarter.
 
Entering last week, the Bulldogs had been outscored 37-14 in the fourth quarter.
 
HISTORY LESSONS
 
Yale has won four straight over the Quakers, including a 42-28 victory last year in New Haven. It was a memorable day for Grooms, who made his first career start at quarterback and scored four touchdowns, two through the air and two on the ground. He completed 18-of-27 passes for 283 yards and added 16 carries for 113 rushing yards. In their last visit to Franklin Field, the Bulldogs escaped with a 23-10 win. Yale ran for 244 yards, while limiting Penn to 14. The Bulldogs have won two straight over Penn in Philly. Overall, Yale leads the series 51-35-1. The first game was played in 1879.
 
SCOUTING PENN
 
The Quakers are 5-0 for the first time since they finished 10-0 in a memorable 2003 season. Penn received votes this week in both the AFCA Coaches and STATS FCS media national polls. Last Saturday, the Quakers raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead on their way to a 34-14 win at Columbia. Quarterback Aidan Sayin completed 29 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Sayin has thrown for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns. Penn's first Ivy win of the season came in double overtime, 23-17 at Dartmouth on Sept. 30. Offensively, the Quakers average more than 250 yards per game passing, while defensively they are limiting their opponents to 65 yards per game.