Cornell at Yale
Sat., Sept 23 – Noon
Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Team 150 returns to Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field for a week two matchup with Cornell. Kickoff is again slated for noon, and ESPN+ has the stream with Justin Gallanty on the play by play and Jack Siedlecki providing analysis. The game is the Ivy League opener for both teams.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
 
• The Bulldogs are coming off a 49-24 loss to then No. 5 Holy Cross last Saturday at the Bowl. Yale trailed only 21-17 at halftime, but the Crusaders scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the third quarter and then added another TD early in the fourth quarter to seize control. The Bulldogs' touchdowns came on a Joshua Pitsenberger 1-yard run on the game's first possession, a 5-yard reception by Mason Tipton late in the second quarter and a 4-yard scoring catch from Spencer Mermans in the fourth quarter. Jack Bosman added a 29-yard field goal.
 
• Yale was efficient on offense for much of the afternoon against the Crusaders, amassing 226 rushing yards, tallying 20 first downs and controlling the ball for nearly half the game (29:58). Eight penalties, many coming at inopportune times, hurt the Bulldogs' chances of pulling off the upset.
 
• The loss was the first at the Bowl for Yale since dropping a 34-31 decision to Harvard in the 2021 season finale. The Bulldogs are now 22-5 at home since the start of the 2017 season.
 
• Yale responded well to losing its opener to Holy Cross in 2022. The Bulldogs won their next four games, including a 38-14 victory at Cornell, went on to finish 8-2 and capture an outright Ivy League championship.
 
• The Bulldogs have won the Ivy League title in three of the last five seasons – 2017, 2019 and 2022. Yale, which has won 17 Ivy titles, tied for the third most in the league, hasn't won back-to-back league championships since winning three straight from 1979 to 1981.
 
• Yale has opened Ivy League play against Cornell in every season since 2000. The Bulldogs are 16-6 in those 22 games.
 
• Quarterback Nolan Grooms continues to move up in the record books. Grooms is sixth all-time at Yale in total offense with 4,658 career yards (1,273 rushing, 3,385 passing). In addition, he is ninth in school history with 258 career completions.
 
• Defensive lineman Clay Patterson recorded a sack last week against Holy Cross, the 19th of his career which places him sixth all-time at Yale.
 
HISTORY LESSONS
 
The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings with Cornell. In last year's victory, Pitsenberger scored three touchdowns and the Yale defense had four sacks. Yale led 14-7 after 15 minutes and increased the advantage to 28-7 by halftime. By the end of the third quarter, the lead was 38-7. Grooms was an efficient 12-of-17 for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Yale has won the last six meetings between the teams at the Bowl. Cornell's last victory in New Haven came in 2009. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 52-30-2. The first meeting between the teams came in 1889.
 
SCOUTING CORNELL
 
Quarterback Jameson Wang completed 19-of-31 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 85 yards to lead the Big Red to its season-opening 23-20 victory over Lehigh in Pennsylvania. Linebacker Holt Fletcher intercepted two passes and Jackson Kennedy connected on three field goals for Cornell, which has won its last five non-conference games dating back to 2021. Over the past two seasons, Cornell's six wins have come by a total of 23 points. The Big Red returns 18 starters from last season's team that finished 5-5 overall and 2-5 in Ivy play.