Here are four things to look for when Yale travels to face Columbia on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

GOOD POSITION: The Bulldogs need to come out of this game with a convincing win and without any injuries. That will put them at 6-1 and in a great spot heading into their final three games which get increasingly tougher. Yale will face Brown on the road next week, followed by Princeton for the Bulldogs final home game and then on the road against at Harvard.

WEATHER: Weather could be a factor here. Rain is expected and it could be heavy at times.

UNDER CENTER FOR THE LIONS: There was some hope surrounding the Columbia program when Stanford-transfer Brett Nottingham came to the Lions. But after being benched, Nottingham is no longer on the team. Junior Trevor McDonagh has stepped in and thrown for 548 yards and two touchdowns in his two starts. He will be under center against the Bulldogs on Saturday.

COLUMBIA’S PLAYMAKER: Running back Cam Molina has been the Lions silver lining. He’s their top playmaker and Columbia will put the ball in his hands as much as possible. Molina leads the Lions in both rushing and receiving.

Tyler Varga has been named a National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete award winner.

With the honor, comes an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship and a trip to the NFF's banquet in New York City on Dec. 9. Varga will also be in contention for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.

Varga has a 3.56 GPA and an ecology and evolutionary biology major. He and 16 others were chosen from a pool of 169 semifinalist candidates.

On the field, Varga has 849 yards and 16 TDs (14 rush, two receiving).

Past Yale Scholar-Athletes winners include...

1967 Rick McCarthy, Offensive Guard

1970 Tom Neville, Defensive Tackle

1972 Dick Jauron, Running Back

1976 Stone Phillips, Quarterback

1978 Bill Crowley, Linebacker

1980 Kevin Czinger, Middle Guard

1981 Rich Diana, Running Back

2001 Peter Lee, Quarterback

2006 Ed McCarthy, Offensive Tackle

2008 Casey Gerald, Defensive Back

2011 Patrick Witt, Quarterback

2014 Tyler Varga, Tailback

I'm not sure that we need to do this segment this week, but here we go...

Yale travels to face Columbia on Saturday at 12:30. What's your prediction? List it below...

NEW HAVEN >> Spot Tyler Varga around the Yale campus and he will most likely be carrying a protein shake and Tupperware filled with food. The Bulldogs’ star running back eats about every two hours.

Get ready for this. A typical daily meal plan consists of the following: Pre-workout protein shake; post-workout protein shake; breakfast consisting of eggs, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit; another protein shake around 11 a.m.; plain chicken breast, rice or pasta and salad for lunch; a fatty acid meal around 2 p.m. to hold him over; plain chicken, rice and some sort of carbohydrate for dinner followed by, of course, another protein shake.

Read the rest of the story...

Some additional news and notes...

SCOUTING COLUMBIA

The Lions have lost 17 straight and its last 11 Ivy League games. They have been outscored by an average of 31 points.

Columbia did play Princeton to a scoreless first half, before falling 38-6. QB Brett Nottingham, a transfer from Stanford, started the first four games. But after being benched last week, he is no longer with the program. Junior Trevor McDonagh is now the starter. 

RB Cam Molina is the Lions top playmaker on offense and the Lions will put the ball in his hands a ton. He leads the team in rushing and receiving.

INJURY UPDATE

Tony Reno said WR Mike Siragusa and TE Stephen Buric should be back this week. DE Victor Egu and LB Matt Oplinger both got banged up Saturday, but are practicing and fully expected to play against Columbia.

RANDALL BREAKS RECORD

Deon Randall, who leads the nation with 8.5 receptions per game, became the Yale’s all-time leader receptions leader on Saturday.

Randall now has 197 career receptions. His 9-yard catch in the third quarter broke Ralph Plumb’s mark of 195.

“It’s one of those things where after the season you look back and appreciate it,” Randall said. “Right now I’m just living in moment and enjoying each game and trying to get better.”
Said Reno about Randall: “He’s the toughest kid I’ve ever coached.”

WALLACE MOVING UP

Meanwhile, Wallace continues to move up the list. His 105 receptions and 1,391 yards are both ninth all-time in Yale’s 142-year history.

THIS WEEK’S IVY SCHEDULE…

Yale at Columbia, 12:30 pm [ILDN]
Princeton at Cornell, 12:30 pm [FCS]
Brown at Penn, 1 pm [ILDN]
Harvard at Dartmouth, 3:30 pm [NBC RSN]

Here are some notes from Tuesday's media luncheon...

RYMISZEWSKI UPDATE

Yale CB Spencer Rymiszewski suffered a spinal cord concussion on a tackle late in the second quarter against Penn and will miss the remainder of the season.

He was released from the hospital on Sunday and is back in class.

He released the following statement on Monday.

“During Saturday's game against Penn, I suffered a spinal cord concussion that will have me sidelined for the rest of the season. I anticipate making a full recovery and getting back on the football field with my brothers.

I am grateful to the Yale medical staff and the entire Yale football community - to include the administrative staff, my coaches, my teammates, and all of the parents - for their care, kindness, love, and support over the last days.”

Freshman Jason Alessi is expected to start in place of Rymiszewski, while junior Michael Bernandez will serve as the backup.

OPLINGER MAKING IMPACT

Freshman Matt Oplinger has made the most of an expanded role. Oplinger caught a two-point conversion and returned a blocked field goal for 48 yards last week against Penn, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week. He’s coming along at LB, too. He and Darius Manora have played well with both Will Vaughan and Andrew Larkin sidelined with injuries. Vaughan returned Saturday.

“He’s made a big step the last two games,” Tony Reno said. “Things slowed down for him and the performance and production has gone up.”

ROBERTS FORMER TEAMMATES

Morgan Roberts has quite the selection of wide receivers to choose from, highlighted by Deon Randall and Grant Wallace.

He played with some pretty good receivers at Clemson, too. Roberts was teammates with Sammy Watkins (now playing for the Buffalo Bills) and DeAndre Hopkins (now playing for the Houston Texans).

“I’ve never seen athletes like that before,” said Roberts about Watkins and Hopkins. “Come in, take a three-step drop and throw it as far as you can and no matter what, they’re going to catch it.”

VARGA ADDS ANOTHER

Tyler Varga rushed 23 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Quakers. It’s his 13^th 100-plus yard game in just 20 games as a Bulldog.

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. at Wien Stadium, New York, New York 

Record: 0-6 (0-3 Ivy)

All-time series: Yale leads 68-19-2

Last week: Columbia lost its 17th straight game and 11th straight game in Ivy play, falling 27-7 to Dartmouth. Andrew Dobitsch scored on a 9-yard pass by Trevor McDonagh. McDonagh threw for 282 yards. The Lions rushed for just 44 yards.    

Top players: QB Trevor McDonagh 211.2 ypg, 54.1%, 6 TD, 3 INT; RB Cam Molina 41.5 ypg, 1 TD, 44.7 ypg (receiving); WR Ryan Flannery 37.8 ypg, 1 TD; Toba Akinleye 50 tackles, 2.5 sacks; Trevor Bell 3 INT

From the Ivy League...

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Harvard senior quarterback Conner Hempel (Union, Ky.) posted a career-high 382 yards passing, tying his career-high with 25 completions (25-of-31) in the Crimson's historic 49-7 victory at Princeton. Hempel tossed three touchdowns through the air (39, 49 and 42 yards) and added two touchdowns on the ground (1 and 14 yards). He helped Harvard amass a school-record 698 total yards and earn the largest margin of victory (42 points) in 107 meetings with Princeton.

Yale junior quarterback Morgan Roberts (Charlotte) broke his own school record for single-game completion percentage, going 26-of-29 for 346 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 43-21 win over Penn. Roberts' four touchdown passes of 18, 6, 28 and 10 yards) to three different receivers came coming within one of setting the school record for a single game. He led Yale to 605 yards of total offense, 28 first downs and the most points against Penn in this series since the 1967 game.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dartmouth junior linebacker Will McNamara (Chicago) recorded double-digit tackles for the fourth-straight game, making a game-high 11 stops in a 27-7 victory at Columbia. One of McNamara's tackles went for a loss and four others held a Lion to a gain of no more than a yard. And any hope Columbia had of making a comeback in the fourth quarter was shot down when he intercepted a pass at the four-yard line, his first of the season and third of his career -- all coming against Columbia -- and returned it 18 yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brown senior wide receiver Reiley Higgins (Coto de Caza, Calif.) converted one of the rarest plays in all of football into a scoring play in the Bears' 42-16 victory over Cornell. Higgins grabbed an onside kick as a member of the hands team and raced 44 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. He also pulled down an 11-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Marcus Fuller earlier in the quarter.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Yale freshman linebacker Matthew Oplinger (Summitt, N.J.) was all over the field on three different units in the Bulldogs' win over Penn. Oplinger caught a pass and raced into the end zone for a two-point conversion to give Yale an early 8-0 lead. A few minutes later, he picked up a blocked field goal attempt and raced 48 yards to the Penn 49-yard line. That play set up the Bulldogs' second touchdown. On defense, Oplinger made two solo tackles and had one pass breakup.

HONOR ROLL
Trevor Bell, Columbia (Jr., DB - Beaumont, Texas)
9 tkls. (9 solo), 2 INTs

Kyle Bramble, Dartmouth (Jr., RB - Floyds Knobs, Ind.)
23 car. for 126 yds., 1 TD

Chris Fraser, Cornell (So., P - Pittsburgh)
42.8 yds./punt, 4 in20, 4 FC

Marcus Fuller, Brown (Sr., QB - Ashland, Ohio)
20-33-0, 306 yds., 4 TDs

Asante Gibson, Harvard (Jr., DB - Chula Vista, Calif.)
4 tkls. (4 solo), 1 FF, 1 FR

Trevor McDonagh, Columbia (Jr., QB - St. Louis)
28-50-2, 282 yds., 1 TD

Alex Park, Dartmouth (Sr., QB - Upper St. Clair, Pa.)
29-42-2, 268 yds., 2 TDs

Conner Scott, Penn (Sr., WR - Kenilworth, Ill.)
9 rec. for 167 yds., 2 TDs

Semar Smith, Harvard (Fr., RB - Coral Springs, Fla.)
12 car. for 124 yds.

Zach Sparber, Brown (Sr., DL - Norwood, N.J.)
5 tkls. (3 solo), 3.0 TFL, 1.0 Sack, 2 FF

Grant Wallace, Yale (Sr., WR - St. Louis)
10 rec. for 173 yds., 2 TDs

Dorian Williams, Princeton (So., DB - Streetsboro, Ohio)
13 tkls. (8 solo), 1 BrUp

Victor Williams, Dartmouth (Jr., WR - Muskogee, Okla.)
6 rec. for 68 yds., 2 TDs

Mike Zeuli, Princeton (Sr., LB - Marlton, N.J.)
11 tkls. (8 solo)

The Bulldogs will bring out the highest-scoring offense in the FCS to take on visiting Penn in Ivy League action today. 

East Haven native Al Bagnoli will coach the Quakers for the final time at the Yale Bowl.

Get live updates for today's game.

Here's four things to keep an eye on when Yale hosts Penn on Saturday at 1:30 at the Yale Bowl...

Battle tested: It may be a down year for the Quakers, but don’t judge Penn by its 1-4 record. The Quakers schedule has been brutal. Penn has lost to three teams in the FCS top 12 (No. 4 Villanova, No. 7 Jacksonville and No. 12 Fordham), along with Dartmouth, who handed Yale its only loss. Penn is not as bad as it looks.

Welcome back: In last week’s win over Columbia, Penn was without its top three running backs. The Quakers get RB Kyle Wilcox back. He missed last week’s game with a concussion. Wilcox only has 44.5 ypg and one TD this season, but he led Penn in rushing and was an All-Ivy honorable mention last season. He rushed for 129 yards on 23 carries against the Bulldogs last year.

Looking ahead: Next week’s game against Columbia could pretty much be penciled in as a win now. So if the Bulldogs pull out a win against the Quakers, that puts them in great position with the season winding down. A 6-1 mark heading into Brown, Princeton and Harvard? Yale fans have to be happy with that.

Limit defense/special teams scores: Yale has allowed a special teams or defensive touchdown in each of its five games. Tony Reno expressed concern about this earlier in the week. It’s certainly something to keep an eye on against Penn. 

During the week of each home football game, a Yale all-era team will be announced. It’s part of the Yale Bowl 100th anniversary celebration.

Below is the 1997-present all-era team courtesy of Yale athletics.

Joe Walland '00, QB

Hometown: Mentor, Ohio

Height, weight: 5-11, 205

NOTES:

-Finished career with lowest interception rate in Division I-AA history (1.65%, 787 att.)

-Led Yale to 1999 Ivy title by completing 42 of 67 for 437 yards in a 24-21 win over Harvard

-Held 25 Yale records when he graduated


Eric Johnson '01, WR

Hometown: Needham, Massachusetts

Height, weight: 6-2, 270

NOTES:

- Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award (Academic, athletic, sportsmanship, citizenship) '00

- Harry Agganis Award (Outstanding New England Senior) '00

- All-American '00

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '00

- Drafted by San Francisco 49ers '01, Played for 49ers '01 to '06, New Orleans Saints '07 to '08


Than Merrill '01, DB

Hometown: Fresno, California

Height, weight: 6-3, 220

NOTES:

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '99, '00

- Drafted by NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers '01

- Played for Chicago Bears '01


Mike Murawczyk '01, K

Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Height, weight: 6-2, 195

NOTES:

- Only Yale kicker or punter to be two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection ( '98, '99)

-36 field goals are a Yale career record

-56 career field goals, 97 PATs are also school standards


Todd Tomich '01, DB

Hometown: Long Beach, California

Height, weight: 5-11, 175

NOTES:

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '99, '01

-Yale's career leader with 16 interceptions

-788 punt return yards are a school record


Nate Lawrie '04, TE

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Height, weight: 6-7, 265

NOTES:

- All-American '04

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '03

-Blue-Gray Classic '03, Las Vegas All-Star Classic '04

- Drafted by NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers '04

- Played for Tampa Bay '04 to '05, New Orleans Saints '06, Cincinnati Bengals '07 to '08


Robert Carr '05, TB

Hometown: Baytown, Texas

Height, weight: 5-7, 190

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '02

- Left school as career leader in almost every rushing category

- Also topped the career kickoff return list

- Two 200-yard rushing games




Alvin Cowan '05, QB

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Height, weight: 6-2, 210

NOTES:

- Recipient, Gold Helmet Award (Top 1-AA player in New England) '03

- Left school with almost every career passing record

- Responsible for 51 TDs

-41 passing TDs and 6,024 total yards are still Yale career records


Rory Hennessey '05, OT

Hometown: Strongsville, Ohio

Height, weight: 6-4, 300

NOTES:

- Two-time All-American '03, '04

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '03, '05


Ralph Plumb '05, WR

Hometown: Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Height, weight: 6-4, 225

NOTES:

-195 catches and 2,396 yards are still Yale career records

- 16 TDs

- Had tryout with Oakland Raiders


Ed McCarthy '07, OT

Hometown: Fairfield, Connecticut

Height, weight: 6-5, 302

NOTES:

- Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award (Academic, athletic, sportsmanship, citizenship) '06

- Ivy League Rookie of the Year '03

- All-American '06

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '05, '06



Brandt Hollander '08, NT

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Height, weight: 6-3, 285

NOTES:

- All-American '07

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '06, '07
- Hula Bowl '07


Bobby Abare '09, LB

Hometown: Acton, Massachusetts

Height, weight: 6-2, 218

NOTES:

- George "Bulger" Lowe Award (Outstanding Player in New England) '08

- Three-time All-American '06, '07, '08

- Three-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '06, '07, '08


Mike McLeod '09, RB

Hometown: New Britain, Connecticut

Height, weight: 5-11, 200

NOTES:

- Asa A. Bushnell Cup (Ivy League MVP) '07

- Ivy League Rookie of the Year '05

- Walter Camp Connecticut Player of the Year '07

- All-American '07

- Three-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '06, '07, '08

I spoke with Penn coach Al Bagnoli for a story on Quakers SS Evan Jackson.

I also spoke to Bagnoli, an East Haven native, about his final trip to the Bowl. Bagnoli is set to step down after this season, his 23rd as Quakers coach.

"It's always been fun to go back there," Bagnoli said. "That's a good team and a great venue with tremendous history. There's a lot of family so that's always nice. It's a work day for us. But the final time, walking off the field, I'll take a good long look around. Its been very enjoyable." 

Yale begins the heart of its Ivy League schedule hosting Penn on Saturday.

What's your prediction for Saturday's game? List below...

Some more notes heading into this week's Yale-Penn game...

Scouting Penn

It may be a down year for the Quakers (1-4), but keep in mind they have played a brutal schedule for the first half of the season. Penn’s win came against Columbia. They have lost to Jacksonville on the road in horrible weather, to a pair of ranked FCS teams in Villanova and Fordham, and Dartmouth which beat Yale. QB Alek Torgersen has good size (6-3, 225) who can throw and run. Penn has moved the ball well. The Quakers were without their top three RBs last week because of injury. Defensively, the Quakers are very physical and bring a ton of pressure. Senior Evan Jackson is one of the top DBs in the Ivy.

Bagnoli’s last stop at the Bowl

East Haven native Al Bagnoli will step down as Penn head coach following this season. This is his 23rd year as Quakers head coach.

He will coach his final game at the Bowl on Saturday. 

Said Reno: I have a lot of respect for coach Bagnoli. When I was fortunate to get this position, he reached out to me. That meant a lot to me. He’s had a lot of success in this league. He coaches to play football the right way.”

Bagnoli’s record vs. Yale

Below is an email I received from Yale historian Bob Barton…

Under Article 31.10.5 of the NCAA Manual, Al Bagnoli's record vs. Yale is 17-5.

Some sources list him as 16-6. The Ivy League office decreed Penn's 1997 victory a loss by forfeit, but the eligibility violation did not meet the NCAA threshold for a forfeiture, and the NCAA told Penn to accept the victory. (Steve Conn and I have seen the NCAA's e-mail.)

The player who committed the violation by continuing to play after lightening his course load, Mitch Marrow, still is listed on the 1997 All-Ivy team in the last published Ivy media guide.

Kickoff at 1:30

The scheduled kickoff for Saturday’s game is at 1:30 p.m. Most home games were scheduled for 1 p.m. this season. This is because Saturday’s game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Legends event

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl, Yale has put together its All-Yale Bowl team. The team includes 67 former Bulldogs who have played at the Bowl. The team will be honored at the Princeton game at the Bowl on Nov. 15. About 40 players are expected to attend, including Calvin Hill and Dick Jauron. Players will be at the Webster Bank Yale 100 tent about an hour before kickoff and will also be honored at halftime.

This week’s Ivy Schedule

*Cornell at Brown, 12:30 pm [ILDN]
*Harvard at Princeton, 1 pm [ESPN3]
*Dartmouth at Columbia, 1:30 pm [ILDN]
*Penn at Yale, 1:30 pm [NBCSN]

NEW HAVEN >> Chris Getman was a hard-throwing lefthander for the Yale baseball team. He’s also been a community leader in New Haven and a successful businessman as owner of Soundview Capital Management Corp.

But it’s something else of which Getman is most proud...

Here are some notes from Tuesday's Yale football media luncheon...

Reno on the win 

After watching film of Yale’s 42-31 win over Colgate, here’s what Tony Reno had to say about the victory…

“The key for me watching the film was what we couldn’t do against Dartmouth is what we could do against Colgate: put a team away at the end of a game. That’s a huge piece of growth for us as a team. That was a challenge I gave them and they responded.”

He called Yale’s defensive stand late in the game when it stopped Colgate from scoring at the Yale 5-yard line, “one of the best possessions on defense all year.” 

Opponent scoring

Yale has allowed a defensive or special teams touchdown in each of its first five games.

OL Will Chism on the offense 

“The offense we run, it’s the type that wears on people and really kicks in, in the fourth. It’s as physical of a run game as you’ll find in college football. But we try not to look at our accomplishments because we really haven’t done much yet.”

Carm on Varga 

Legendary coach Carm Cozza has coached a lot of great RBs. He wouldn’t go as far as ranking Tyler Varga among those he had, but he spoke highly of his strength, hands, blocking ability and more.

“I wish I had him,” Cozza said. “He’s one of the best back I’ve seen in this area in some time, and that’s FBS too.”

He compares Varga to former standout RB Rich Diana because both had great strength.

Getting Varga 

Varga has had an outstanding season so far.

So how did he end up at Yale?

When Reno got the job at Yale, Varga sent him an email to congratulate him and also informed him he was interested in transferring. The next day, Varga and his parents were on a plane from Canada to New Haven. After the official visit he accepted.

High-scoring attack 

Yale has scored over 31 points in every game this season. The last the Bulldogs did that in five games was 1892. Yale’s 230 points over its first five games is the best since the 1888 Bulldogs racked up 698 for the season. The school’s modern record for points in a season is 354 in 2003.

FCS Leaders

As a team, the Blue leads the nation in total offense (601 ypg) and scoring offense (46 ppg). WR Deon Randall (8.8 receptions per game) and RB Tyler Varga (16.8 ppg) are tops in those FCS rankings.

Penn Quakers

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. at Yale Bowl

Record: 1-4 (1-1 Ivy)

All-time series: Yale leads 45-35-1

Last week: Alek Torgersen passed for a touchdown and ran for another as Penn cruised to a 31-7 win over Columbia. 

It was Penn's 18th straight win over Columbia, the longest winning streak for one opponent over another in Ivy history.

Columbia scored on the opening drive for its only touchdown. Brian Schoenauer added 18 carries for 77 yards.    

Top players: QB Alek Torgersen (252 passing ypg, 6 TDs (4 passing, 2 rushing), 8 INT), RB Kyle Wilcox 44.5 ypg, 1 TD), WR Spencer Kulcsar (65.2 ypg), LB Dan Davis (23 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3 sacks). 

From the Ivy League...

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Yale senior tailback Tyler Varga (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) tied the school record for touchdowns in the Yale Bowl for the second time this season in the Bulldogs' 45-31 win over Colgate. Varga scored on runs of 1, 7, 5 and 69 yards while catching an eight-yard scoring pass to bump his season touchdown total to 14. His final scoring run (69 yards) clinched the victory and was the longest play from scrimmage for Yale through five games. For the day, Varga compiled 184 rushing yards on 25 carries.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dartmouth junior defensive back Frankie Hernandez (Miami) collected eight tackles and picked off his first career pass during in the Big Green's 24-21 victory. Hernandez' interception from his nickelback position helped keep the momentum on Dartmouth's side as it came just six plays after the Big Green had turned the ball over early in the second quarter with the score tied.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brown junior placekicker/punter Grant Senne (Winter Park, Fla.) provided 10 points for the Bears' in the loss at Princeton. Senne hit all three of his field goal attempts (28, 33, 19 yards) and an extra point conversion. He also punted for a 39.6 yards per punt average, with a long boot of 50 yards.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Cornell freshman safety Nick Gesualdi (Sykesville, Md.) made eight solo stops and had two tackles for a loss as the Big Red defense kept the home team in the game throughout a 31-14 loss to Lehigh. Gesualdi's five-yard tackle for loss on Lehigh's first drive inside the five-yard line helped Cornell force a field goal, while his second helped end a mid-third quarter drive that ended in a Mountain Hawk punt. The Big Red got on the board for the first time on the ensuing possession.

HONOR ROLL
Kyle Bramble, Dartmouth (Jr., RB - Floyds Knobs, Ind.)
23 car. for 113 yds., 1 rec. TD

Matt Costello, Princeton (Sr., WR - Everett, Mass.)
8 rec. for 121 yds., 2 TDs

Troy Doles, Brown (Jr., WR - Saratoga, Calif.)
6 rec. for 200 yds.

Andrew Fischer, Harvard (Jr., WR - Diamond Bar, Calif.)
6 rec. for 107 yds., 1 TD, 237 all-purpose yds.

Chris Fraser, Cornell (So., P - Potomac, Md.)
44.1 yds./punt, 2 in20, 1 FC, 1 TB

Asante Gibson, Harvard (Jr., DB - Chula Vista, Calif.)
10 tkls. (5 solo), 1.5 TFL, 1.5 Sacks

Miles Norris, Cornell (So., LB - Baltimore)
6 tkls. (1 solo), 0.5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR

Collin Shaw, Cornell (So., WR - Plano, Texas)
4 rec. for 119 yds., 1 TD

Connor Michelsen, Princeton (Sr., QB - Plano, Texas)
33-45-1, 367 yds., 2 TDs

Alek Torgersen, Penn (So., QB - Huntington Beach, Calif.)
16-22-0, 214 yds., 1 TD, 70 rush yds., 1 TD

Michael Walsh, Brown (Jr., LB - Swampscott, Mass.)
12 tkls. (6 solo), 1 BrUp

Mike Zeuli, Princeton (Sr., LB - Marlton, N.J.)
7 tkls. (2 solo), 1.0 TFL, 0.5 Sack, 2 BrUps

The Bulldogs junior varsity team fell 33-14 Sunday to Milford Academy at Clint Frank Field.

Yale scored on its first possession of the second half. Freshman QB Rafe Chapple connected with junior Matt Rubino for a 35-yard gain. That set up a 27-yard touchdown run by freshman RB John Barton. Barton also had a 67-yard run in the game.

Chapple later threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to freshman TE Noah Yates. Also on that scoring drive, Chapple hit Yates for a 37-yard pass and sophomore RB Galen McAllister had a 13-yard run.

Yale trailed 16-0 in the first half to a team that has seven players ranked in the top 25 at their positions by Rivals.com.

The Yale JV game will play again on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. vs. Brown at Clint Frank Field.

There are no Yale stats, but here are some Milford Academy stats from Sunday's game...

Buffalo's Jake Dolegala threw for 226 yards and 4 TDs

Zee Roberson had 4 catches for 124 yards and 3 TDs

Jamar Kelly had 3 catches and 1 TD

Sidney Gopre had 5 tackles and 1 interception

Mike Gaynor had 5 tackles

Binghamton's Joe Crowley had 4 tackles

Oliver Graybar had 2 field goals and 3 extra point kicks

Get live updates for today's game, as Yale looks to bounce back after a loss to Dartmouth last week.

Here is a look at four things to keep an eye on when Yale hosts Colgate Saturday.

BOUNCE BACK: Yale let one slip away last week. Tony Reno called the 38-31 loss to Dartmouth the toughest in his three seasons. Last year the Bulldogs loss to Dartmouth started a downward spiral, as they dropped three straight and five of their final seven. A win Saturday would be critical, getting Yale back on track heading into its Ivy League stretch.

ESTABLISH THE RUN GAME: The Bulldogs showed they need their run game to be successful. They can’t rely on Morgan Roberts and the passing game to carry the offense. Expect another big game from Tyler Varga. He rushed 39 times for 236 yards and a touchdown in a season-opening win at Colgate last season.

ANOTHER DUAL THREAT: Last week, Yale didn’t have much of an answer for Dartmouth’s slippery quarterback Dalyn Williams. The versatile Williams beat the Bulldogs with his arm last week. This week Yale faces another dual threat in Jake Melville, who leads the Raiders in passing and rushing. Melville may not be as talented as Williams, but Yale still needs to find a way to keep him in the pocket.

TALL ORDER: Yale’s passing defense has struggled. The Bulldogs rank No. 107 out of 121 FCS teams, allowing 257.5 passing ypg. Colgate has good size on the outside and a 6-foot-6 tight end in John Quazza, the Raiders leading receiver. This could pose as a tough matchup for Yale’s secondary.

Tyler Varga has been added to The Sports Newtork’s Payton Award Watch List. The award is given to the outstanding player of the FCS following the regular season.

Varga leads the FCS in scoring average (13.5) and is ninth in yards per carry (6.8). He has rushed for 525 yards and eight touchdowns. He rushed for 185 yards and five scores, including the game-winning touchdown, in the overtime victory over Army.

Varga is also a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s William Campbell Trophy for top scholar-athlete.

1978-97 All-Era Team

Here’s a look at the most recent all-era team released by the Yale athletic department…



Bill Crowley '79, LB

Hometown: Short Hills, New Jersey

Height, weight: 6-4, 225

NOTES:

- All-American '78

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '77, '78


Bob Skoronski '79, DT

Hometown: Menasha, Wisconsin

Height, weight: 6-1, 220

NOTES:

- All-American '78

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '78


John Spagnola '79, DE

Hometown: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Height, weight: 6-4, 220

NOTES:

- All-American '78

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '77, '78

- Drafted by New England Patriots, '79

- Played for Philadelphia Eagles '79 to '87 (Super Bowl XV), Seattle Seahawks '88, Green Bay Packers '89


Clint Streit '79, DE

Hometown: Darlington, Pennsylvania

Height, weight: 6-3, 225

NOTES:

- All-American '78

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '77, '78


Ken Hill '80, RB

Hometown: Oak Grove, Louisiana

Height, weight: 6-0, 194

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '79

- Blue-Gray Classic '79

- Drafted by Oakland Raiders '80

- Played for Oakland/L.A. Raiders '80 to '83 (Super Bowl XVIII), New York Giants '84 to '88 (Super Bowl XXI), Kansas City Chiefs '89


Tim Tumpane '80, LB

Hometown: Midlothian, Illinois

Height, weight: 6-0, 205

NOTES:

- All-American '79

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '79

- Asa A. Bushnell Cup (Ivy League MVP) '79


Kevin Czinger '81, MG

Hometown: Parma, Ohio

Height, weight: 5-10, 200

NOTES:

- All-American '80

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '80

- Asa A. Bushnell Cup (Ivy League MVP) '80


Rich Diana '82, RB

Hometown: Hamden, Connecticut

Height, weight: 5-11, 215

NOTES:

- Two-time All-American and All-Ivy First Team '80, '81

- Blue-Gray Classic '81; Japan Bowl '81

- Outstanding New England Senior & Player of Year '81

- Top 10 Finisher in Heisman Balloting '81

- Asa A. Bushnell Cup (Ivy League MVP), Walter Camp Connecticut Player of the Year '81

- Played for Miami Dolphins '82-'83 (Super Bowl XVII)


Curt Grieve '82, WR

Hometown: Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Height, weight: 6-4, 200

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '81

- Blue-Gray Classic '81

- Drafted by Philadelphia Eagles '82


Fred Leone '82, DE

Hometown: East Northport, New York

Height, weight: 6-2, 217

NOTES:

- All-American '80

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '80, '81


John Rogan '82, QB

Hometown: East Meadow, New York

Height, weight: 6-2, 188

NOTES:

-Played on 3 Ivy Championship Teams

-Teams went 25-4 over three seasons

-Yale's top passer all 3 years


Jeff Rohrer '82, LB

Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California

Height, weight: 6-3, 215

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '81

- Drafted by Dallas Cowboys '82

- Played for Dallas Cowboys '82 to '88


Dean Athanasia '88, TE

Hometown: Wilmington, Massachusetts

Height, weight: 6-3, 225

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '87

-Broke Yale record for career receptions


Kelly Ryan '88, QB

Hometown: Springfield, Illinois

Height, weight: 6-3, 190

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '87

- Asa A. Bushnell Cup (Ivy League MVP) '87


Jeff Rudolph '89, OG

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Height, weight: 6-1, 260

NOTES:

- Two-time All-Ivy First Team Selection '87, '88


Jon Reese '90, LB

Hometown: West Babylon, New York

Height, weight: 6-0, 215

NOTES:

- All-Ivy First Team Selection '89

- Captain of 1989 Ivy Champions


Chris Hetherington '96, QB

Hometown: North Branford, Connecticut

Height, weight: 6-3, 235

NOTES:

- Yale's top QB in 1994 and 1995

-Numerous Ivy League, ECAC Player of the Week honors

-Played for Cincinnati Bengals '96, Indianapolis Colts '96-99 ('97 special teams MVP), Carolina Panthers '99-01, St. Louis Rams '02, Oakland '03-04, San Francisco 49ers '05-06

NEW HAVEN >> Rich Marazzi attended his first football game at the Yale Bowl on Thanksgiving Day in 1948. He was 5 years old. He sat with his father, uncle and a friend and watched Hillhouse beat rival West Haven 20-6. A crowd of 40,504 filled the Bowl that day, still the Connecticut record for attendance at a high school football game.

“It really intrigued me,” Marazzi said.

Read more.

Yale looks to bounce back after its first loss of the season on Saturday. The Bulldogs host Colgate at 1 p.m. at the Bowl.

List your prediction below...

Some additional notes for this week...

SCOUTING COLGATE

The Raiders are coming off a big 31-30 win over Princeton and have won four straight. They’ve played a competitive schedule, which included Ball State and Delaware, who is just outside the FCS Top 25. They use an odd front on defense. They have a talented secondary that is good in man coverage. Their group of linebackers are aggressive and they have athleticism up front. Yale will have to do a good job of picking up pressure and the different schemes.

Offensively, quarterback Jake Melville leads the team in rushing and passing. Colgate’s receivers have good size on the outside and 6-6 tight end John Quazza has good size and runs well. The Raiders will use four different running back to change looks and pace. They will use sets with four receivers and at times, two to three tight ends. Kick returner John Maddaluna will be one of the best Yale will see this season.

LOCKE MOVING TO OFFENSE?

Yale freshmen Jamal Locke has shown exceptional speed as the Bulldogs kick returner. He’s averaging 23.5 yards per return. Locke is listed as a cornerback, but with his playmaking ability, could possibly move to offense.

“It’s something we have to reassess during the spring,” Reno said. “We have guys playing at corner with offensive skills.”

INJURY NEWS

Reno wouldn't say much about injury updates. He did say, however, that LB Andrew Larkin should not miss the rest of the season. Larkin left Saturday's game against Dartmouth. Reno did not give a timetable on his return.

As for freshman OL Jon Bezney, there is no timetable for his return either. He has missed the last three games. Bezney was perhaps the most highly touted recruit out of all the Yale freshmen this season.

"We're taking it slow because he's young," Reno said. "We're being very cautious with him. He's a big-time player."

NFL COACHES

Two former Yale players are now coaching in the NFL. Pat Graham a former tight end that graduated from Yale in 2001, is a defensive assistant for the Patriots. He’s in his sixth season in New England. Graham, a Waterbury native, was a member of Yale’s 1999 Ivy League title team.

Michael McDaniel, who graduated from Yale in 2005, is a Browns receivers coach. He’s in his eighth NFL season. He also coached the Texans, Broncos and Redskins.

A LOOK AT VARGA

Running back Tyler Varga leads the FCS in scoring average (13.5) and is ninth in yards per carry (6.8). Despite just playing 18 career games, Varga is seventh on the Bulldogs all-time list with 2,082 yards and 10th with 17 touchdowns. Varga has gone over 100 yards in three of Yale’s four games this year. He also posted his career-long run of 56 yards against Lehigh.

RANDALL MOVES UP

Deon Randall has moved up on Yale's all-time reception list. He is now No. 2 with 182 career receptions. Ralph Plumb (192) is No. 1.

Randall's 1,831 career receiving yards is the third most in Yale history.

Here is a look at some players that should be headed to Yale next season, pending acceptance.

Jackson Keimig, H-Back, 6-3, 220, Bothell, Washington: Received offers from a handful of Ivy League schools along with Idaho, Montana and Montana State among others. VIDEO

Kyle Marcinick, WR, 6-1, 185, Dublin, Ohio: Also had interest from Northwestern, Toledo and Youngstown State. VIDEO

Hunter Roman, DE, 6-5, 205, New London: Register All-State honorable mention pick last season. Received interest from Boston College, UConn and Central Connecticut State. VIDEO

Daniel Bailey, RB/DE, 6-3, 254, San Juan Capistrano, California: Turned down offers from UCLA and Duke. Rivals lists Bailey as a two-star recruit. VIDEO

Tre Moore, Ath., 6-3, 180, St. Louis, Missouri: Chose Yale over Princeton and Cornell. Schools like Syracuse, Indiana and Notre Dame also showed interest. VIDEO

Ian Baker, DE, 6-4, 225, North Canton Ohio: Playing OL and DE at Hoover. VIDEO

Some weekly notes heading into Yale’s showdown with Colgate Saturday at the Yale Bowl at 1 p.m.

Tony Reno called Saturday’s loss to Dartmouth the toughest in his three years as Bulldogs head coach. Yale led by as many as 14 in the second quarter and missed opportunities to close out a win against the Big Green. Yale managed just one touchdown in the second half.

“The Dartmouth game was a tough one for all of us,” Reno said. “I felt like we let one slip away. We had two or three opportunities in the second half to throw the knockout punch and finish them off and we didn’t do. We had another in the fourth and we didn’t do it. We let them hang around and hang around and in the end, they make the play on third-and-12 and we don’t. That’s the difference. Hopefully we learn from it. This one probably hurts the most since we’ve been here, because this is the one we should have won.”

RUSHING WOES

Yale could not get its rushing attack going in the second half. Dartmouth held the Bulldogs to just 55 yards on the ground after halftime.

“They had odd fronts that tried to beat us with movement and blitzing,” RT Ben Carberry said. “And Dartmouth had big, stout d-linemen. They played a four-down front. It’s the best defense we’ve faced this year and one of best on our schedule.”

Reno added, Yale didn’t run the option as much as it would have liked because of the wet and slippery field conditions.

HILLHOUSE-WEST HAVEN RIVALRY

The Yale Bowl hosted the high school rivalry between Hillhouse and West Haven from 1939-1957. The game drew 40,504 in 1948, still the largest crowd for a high school game in the state.

As part of the 100th anniversary for the Yale Bowl, players from the rivalry will be recognized after the first quarter of Saturday’s game. Around 20 to 25 former players are expected to attend.

YALE AMONG TOP TIER?

Yale held its own with Dartmouth, who, coming into the season, could make a case for being the top team in the Ivy.

So have the Bulldogs turned the corner and deserve to be in conversation among that top-tier group in the Ivy?

“I’m not where we want us to be,” Reno said. “At the end of year, we’ll sit back and see if we’re at the upper level yet. I think we still have to prove that we’re at that upper level. I feel we have ability to compete with those teams, but we have to prove it.”

THIS WEEK’S IVY SCHEDULE…

Saturday, October 18
*Columbia at Penn, 1 pm [ILDN]
Lafayette at Harvard, 1 pm [NESN, LSN/ESPN3]
Colgate at Yale, 1 pm [ILDN]
Holy Cross at Dartmouth, 1:30 pm [ILDN]
Lehigh at Cornell, 3 pm [ILDN]
*Brown at Princeton, 3:30 pm [NBC RSN]

Colgate Raiders

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Yale Bowl

Record: 4-2

All-time series: Yale leads 26-11-3

Last week: Jonah Bowman's 23-yard field goal early in the fourth lifted Colgate to its fourth straight win, a 31-30 victory over Princeton. Colgate trailed by as many as 16 in the second quarter. The Raiders scored a pair of touchdowns with under a minute left in the first half. Jake Melville threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns. 

Top players: QB Jake Melville (148 ypg, 5 TDs, 75.2 ypg rushing, 4 TDs), RB Demetrius Russell 64 ypg, 1 TD), WR John Quazza (20 rec, 247 yds, 1 TD), LB Vinny Russo (49 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT). 

As expected, following Yale's loss to Dartmouth, the Bulldogs are no longer receiving votes in the FCS poll. Harvard has moved up to No. 24. Here's a look at the poll below...

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	North Dakota State (26)	6-0	650	1
2	Eastern Washington	6-1	624	2
3	Coastal Carolina	7-0	583	3
4	Villanova	5-1	566	5
5	New Hampshire	5-1	549	6
6	Montana	4-2	516	7
7	Jacksonville State	5-1	498	8
8	Southeastern Louisiana	5-2	461	9
9	Illinois State	5-0	401	15
10	McNeese State	3-2	388	4
11	Montana State	5-2	385	14
12	Eastern Kentucky	6-0	337	16
13	Fordham	6-1	286	18
14	Bethune-Cookman	5-1	268	17
15	Chattanooga	3-3	256	12
16	South Dakota State	4-2	246	19
17	Southern Illinois	5-2	245	13
18	William & Mary	4-2	236	11
19	Youngstown State	4-2	216	10
20	Richmond	4-2	208	20
21	UNI	3-3	148	21
22	Charleston Southern	5-1	109	23
23	Indiana State	4-2	77	22
24	Harvard	4-0	59	NR
25	Sam Houston State	3-3	58	NR

Dropped out: No. 24 Alcorn State, No. 25 Tennessee State.

Others receiving votes: Sacred Heart 18, Delaware 12, Tennessee State 11, Alcorn State 5, Bryant 5, James Madison 5, Cal Poly 4, Central Arkansas 4, Southeast Missouri State 4, Bucknell 3, Missouri State 3, Samford 2, Stephen F. Austin 2, Dartmouth 1, Liberty 1.