Tuesday luncheon highlights

Finally getting around to recapping the weekly Tuesday luncheon at The Course at Yale.

It doesn't look good for starting defensive end Brady Hart to return against Fordham Saturday. Hart has missed the last two games after spraining his ankle and knee against Cornell. Running back Ricky Galvez (hamstring), receiver Jarrett Drake (concussion), defensive back and special teams star Brian Stephenson (neck) are also questionable and could miss their second straight games (it would be the fourth straight game that Galvez missed). The only player ruled out is reserve offensive lineman Jon Charest with a neck injury. Both Hart and Drake were left off the two-deep chart which is never a good sign. Ideally, Yale would love to have Hart - and the rest of the team's injured players - back for the Penn game a week from Saturday but it is too early to tell if that will be the case.

Speaking of the offensive line, senior Landon Hairgrove has been named the starter at right guard ahead of junior Cory Palmer who started the previous four games. Yale coach Jack Siedlecki said both would play and that Hairgrove is finally healthy after offseason foot surgery.

There was no phone hookup with the opposing coach which is the weekly custom which was unfortunate because Fordham coach Tom Masella is good friends with Siedlecki dating back to Masella's playing days at Wagner College where Siedlecki was an assistant coach. Masella is a former head coach at Fairfield University and Central Connecticut.

While I will provide the normal allotment of Yale coverage this week beginning with a feature on senior cornerback and Rhodes Scholar candidate Casey Gerald in Wednesday's Register, I will not be covering Saturday's game at Fordham. I am also the UConn women's basketball beat writer and need to be up at Gampel Pavilion for Thursday's media day, Friday's "First Night" festivities and Saturday's first official practice. Chris Hunn will be covering the Yale/Fordham game for us on Saturday. I will be covering the rest of Yale's games and will also have a recruiting update in Thursday's paper as well as an advance in Saturday's edition of the Register.