YALE vs. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 5 – 12 p.m.
Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field
New Haven, Conn.
ESPN+ Video | Live Stats
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Team 151 opened the season with a thrilling, last-second victory at Holy Cross before falling to Cornell, 47-23, in their Ivy opener last week. Now, the Bulldogs turn their attention to their home opener against Central Connecticut State University on Oct. 5. Kickoff at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 field is slated for 12 p.m., and the game can be viewed on ESPN+ with Justin Gallanty and Jack Siedlecki on the call.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and Blue Devils.
• Central is coming into the game with a 2-2 record. After losing its first game of the season to Central Michigan, the Blue Devils responded with wins over Fordham and Saint Francis University, before taking a tough, 35-31 loss at UMass-Amherst on Sept. 21.
• The Blue Devils have been off for 13 full days going into Saturday's tilt with the Bulldogs.
• In Yale's loss at Cornell last week,
Josh Pitsenberger rushed for a team-high 68 yards on 18 carries after missing last week's opening win at Holy Cross due to injury. In two games at Schoellkopf Field in his career, Pitsenberger has five touchdowns.
• Starting quarterback
Brogan McCaughey finished 14-of-21 for 172 yards and one touchdown, an 8-yard pass to tight end
Ry Yates that tied the score at 7-7 in the first quarter. The touchdown reception was the first of Yates' career.
• Through two games, Yale has been very efficient in the red zone, scoring on all eight ofits trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line. The Bulldogs also have enjoyed success on third down, converting at a .516 rate which is seventh in the nation.
• Receiver
David Pantelis has averaged 90.5 receiving yards, which places him 14th in the FCS. He also is third in the Ivy League with 5.5 receptions per game.
• The Central Connecticut game is the first of three straight home games for the Bulldogs, the preseason favorite to earn a third straight Ivy title.
• The Bulldogs are coming off a memorable 2023 season. After dropping its first two games – to Holy Cross and Cornell - Yale won seven of its final eight games, including a 23-18 victory over Harvard in the finale that secured an Ivy championship. The Bulldogs, who finished 7-3 overall and 5-2 in Ivy play, shared the crown with Harvard and Dartmouth.
• Yale is the preseason favorite to earn a third straight Ivy title but by a narrow margin. In the official league preseason media poll, the Bulldogs received six of the 16 first-place votes and finished with 114 points, six more than second-place Harvard, which got seven first-place votes. Penn (2 first-place votes, 88 points) is picked third, while Princeton (1 first-place vote) and Dartmouth both had 80 points. Brown (56 points), Cornell (26) and Columbia (24) round out the poll.
• Yale is looking to win three straight Ivy titles for the first time since 1979-81.
• The Bulldogs return four All-Ivy selections from a year ago. Running back
Josh Pitsenberger was a second team selection, while offensive lineman
Michael Bennett, defensive lineman
Alvin Gulley, Jr. and defensive back
Sean Guyton were honorable mention selections. Pitsenberger, Gulley, Guyton, kick returner
Joey Felton, tight end
Ry Yates, and defensive lineman
Dylan Yang were named preseason All-Ivy by college football analyst Phil Steele.
• Tony Reno, The Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of the Bulldogs who is in his 12th season at the helm, earned his 68th win at Yale last Saturday, moving him past Walter Camp for the third most coaching victories in school history.
SCOUTING CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
The Blue Devils (2-2) are playing their fifth game of the season. They had a bye last week following a hard-fought 35-31 loss to FBS UMass on Sept. 21. CCSU opened Northeast Conference play with a 27-20 win at Saint Francis University on Sept. 14. The winning play came when Jayden Anderson forced a fumble that Kimal Clark scooped up and returned 10 yards for a touchdown with 1:45 to play in the fourth quarter. Five Blue Devils were named to the AllNortheast Conference Football Preseason Team. Anderson, Clark, Jack Barnum, Isaiah DeLoatch and Elijah Howard were recognized by the league's head coaches. Central Connecticut was picked to finish seventh in the NEC's preseason poll.
