Dartmouth Invades Yale Bowl For 100th Meeting With Bulldogs

Yale will be looking for their first Ivy League win of the 2016 season when they host Dartmouth (2-1, 0-1 Ivy League) on Oct. 8 in the Yale Bowl (1 p.m. kickoff).

The game has historic importance as it marks the 100^th meeting between two of the Ivy League’s most renowned rivalries.

Yale has struggled in their first three games, however, in last week’s loss to Lehigh the offense took a major step forward under the direction of quarterback Tre Moore and running back Deshawn Salter (151 yards).

Moore, a sophomore, got his first start at quarterback and directed a Yale offense which put 35 points on the scoreboard in a 63-35 loss to the Mountain Hawks.

Against Lehigh the Elis (0-3, 0-1 Ivy League) dug a 21-7 hole in the first quarter and were unable to overcome the passing heroics of the Mountain Hawks Brad Mayes (33 of 46) who torched the Yale defense for a Yale Bowl and school-record 524 yards and six touchdowns.

In addition to Salter’s rushing effort, there are other signs that the Bulldogs have found some quick-strike capability.

Wide receiver Chris Williams-Lopez was Moore’s favorite target as he caught two passes for 71 yards, which included a 63-yard touchdown bomb.

Junior defensive back Jason Alessi had a moment for the highlight reel when he returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown – the third longest in school history and the second 80-yarder of his Elis career.

Dartmouth is led by junior quarterback Jack Heneghan who passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Penn.

Heneghan has a pair of favorite receivers in freshman Hunter Hagdorn and sophomore Drew Hunnicutt.

Senior Danny McManus has been a force on the defensive end for the Big Green.

Dartmouth, under Coach Buddy Tevens, opened the season with wins over New Hampshire and Holy Cross before falling to Penn, 37-24 at home last week.

The game will air on the Yale Football Radio Network (ESPN Radio AM-1300 in New Haven) with Ron Vaccaro and Carm Cozza on the call.

The game can also be seen on the Ivy League Digital Network.

PREDICTION:

The Bulldogs in a typical Ivy League battle!

FINAL: Yale 28 Dartmouth 24

BULLDOG BITES

The game marks the 100th meeting between the Elis and the Big Green, with Yale leading the series 53-40-6. Dartmouth has won the last four games, including last year’s 35-3 win in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Moore (St. Louis, Mo) was the third black quarterback in Yale history to start a football game.

Moore is 33 of 64 for 296 yards since taking over the quarterback reigns in the second quarter against Cornell.

Phil Manley ’81 by some media accounts was the first with Derek Russell ’13 the second.

The combined 98 points in last week’s game with Lehigh was the second most scored in a game at the Yale Bowl.

The record of 99 points combined was established in 2003 when Brown defeated Yale, 55-44.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced this fall that Yale’s Sebastian Little has been named one of the 156 semifinalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy.

The award recognizes an individual as the top football scholar-athlete in the nation for their contributions on and off the field.

After the Dartmouth game, Yale will close out their 2016 non-conference schedule at Fordham (2-2) on Oct. 15 (1 p.m. kickoff).

This year Yale will play two games under the lights. The Elis will host Penn on Oct. 21 in the first game under the lights at the Yale Bowl.

On Oct. 28 Yale and Columbia will get after it in New York City.

Yale will travel to Cambridge to play Harvard in THE GAME on Nov. 19.

The 40^th reunion of Yale’s 1976 Ivy League Championship squad will be held on Nov. 12 when Yale hosts Princeton.

Follow Bob for all the Yale football game highlights, features and more: @WhitneyBob