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Yale Looking for First Win; Elis Host LeHigh

(Stan Godlewski/Special to the Courant)

(Stan Godlewski/Special to the Courant)

Yale is in need of a win and this week’s game with Lehigh at the Yale Bowl could be just what the doctor ordered.
To say that Yale has been struggling to find an identity in their first two games is an understatement.

Last week the Elis (0-2, 0-1 Ivy League) dug a huge 21-3 hole in the first half against Cornell and fell to the Big Red (2-0, 1-0 Ivy League) 27-13 in Ithaca.

The Big Red took advantage of three Yale turnovers to build an insurmountable lead in the Ivy League opener for both schools. However, there are some encouraging signs that the Bulldogs may be a position to put it all together.

Quarterback Tre Moore, a sophomore, entered the Cornell game late in the first half and gave the Bulldogs a huge lift. Moore connected on 21 of 33 passes to spark a Yale comeback attempt. Wide receiver Chris Williams-Lopez was Moore’s favorite target catching six passes for 92 yards.
Senior linebacker Foye Oluokun had a game-high ten tackles for a defense which held Cornell to just three points in the second half.

Moore’s performance may be good enough to give him the starting nod against Lehigh over junior Rafe Chapple and freshman Kurt Rawlings.
The challenge for Reno and the Bulldogs will be to play a complete game of football against a high-powered Lehigh (2-2) offense led by quarterback Nick Shafnisky.

After a pair of losses to Villanova and Monmouth, Lehigh heads to New Haven riding high after thumping Penn and Princeton.

Last week, Shafnisky shredded the Princeton secondary completing 29 of 36 passes for an eye-popping 461 yards and four touchdowns. The Lehigh offense is averaging 33 ppg. Shafnisky and company will pose a huge challenge to the Yale defense.

The game marks the 24th meeting between the Eli and Lehigh, with Yale holding a decisive 17-6 advantage in the series.
Yale has won the last two meetings between the schools. The last time they met in New Haven (2014) the Bulldogs won in a shootout, 54-43.

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 and broadcast live on One World Sports TV.

PREDICTION:

Yale will give Lehigh a better game than either Penn or Princeton. Moore will put some points on the board for a Yale offense in need of some confidence but Shafnisky will prevail.

FINAL: Lehigh 34 Yale 21

BULLDOG BITES

If Moore gets the starting nod for Yale, he will be the third African American quarterback in that role. Phil Manley ’81 by some media accounts was the first with Derek Russell ’13 the second.
After the Lehigh game, Yale will get back to Ivy League action when they host Dartmouth (2-0) on Oct. 8 (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 40th 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

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Bob Whitney

Bob is a college basketball columnist here at DoubleGSports.com. He also covers Yale football and the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA.
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