The Yale Bulldogs came up short again last season in their bid to win the Ivy League title. That won’t stop the Bulldogs, however, from ever cooking up ways to cop the conference crown again. Will this be the year the Bulldogs finally knock Harvard out of the conference’s top place?
Read on for an overview of Yale’s key player this season along with the team’s key game, best and worst scenarios and a complete list of the Bulldogs’ 2015-2016 schedule.
For more about Ivy League football, click here for a preview of Harvard’s season.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015-2016 Yale College Football Preview
Overview
[sc:NCAA240banner ]On the strength of a high-octane offense, Yale became one of the most entertaining FCS teams to watch last season. The Bulldogs had little trouble moving the chains, as they paced the FCS with an offense that averaged 571 total yards per game (1st) and produced a dizzying 41.1 points per game (3rd).
In the end, those numbers weren’t enough to propel Yale to a conference title with the Bulldogs finishing the season with an 8-2 overall record, good for only third in the Ivy League. Yale’s offense this year doesn’t figure to match the firepower it had last year, considering the loss of top running back Tyler Varga (graduation) over the offseason.
That said, the team should benefit from the decision of quarterback Morgan Roberts to return to New Haven. The junior signal-caller is coming off a season in which he passed for 3,230 yards and 22 touchdowns. With Roberts under center, the Bulldogs were able to put up 3,236 total passing yards a year ago, 28th in the FCS.
As for his targets, Roberts will have the pair of NC State transfer Bo Hines and Robert Clemons III to throw to downfield. Hines had 616 receiving yards and a touchdown on 45 receptions for the Wolfpack last season. Clemons, meanwhile, was third on the Bulldogs’ roster in receptions (26) and receiving yards (282). Candler Rich is expected to gaping hole left by Varga. Rich rushed for 502 yards and two touchdowns in 2014.
The defense, on the other hand, is looking to improve on its rather unimpressive performance last season, wherein the Bulldogs let opponents rack up 410.8 total yards (77th) and 29.9 point (83rd) per game.
Key Player – Morgan Roberts
There’s no hiding it: the loss of Varga (1,423 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in 2014) was a blow to the gut of Yale’s offense. Candler Rich is a decent running back but he’s nowhere near the skill and talent of Varga. This puts extra pressure on the Yale’s air attack. In other words, Roberts will have to take the Bulldogs’ passing game into another level.
As mentioned, he has solid weapons down field to do just that like Hines. Hines is coming over from a relatively tougher conference (ACC) and has experience playing against teams such as Florida State and Louisville. Roberts will have to cut down on his errors, though, after giving up nine interceptions last season.
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Key Game – vs. Harvard (Nov. 21)
If you’re a fan of rivalry games, count November 21 as the among the dates to circle on your calendars this year. The Bulldogs end the regular season at home against Harvard in a matchup that will likely decide the conference championship. Yale sure is itching to end its eight-game losing streak to the Crimson. In their most recent meeting, the Bulldogs lost on the road to Harvard, 31-24.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Yale’s defense matures and complements an offense that thrives with Roberts at the helm. Roberts forms a perfect chemistry with Hines and becomes the 1-2 punch that Yale’s offense urgently now that Varga is gone. Yale finally unseats Harvard as the top team in the Ivy League by finishing the season with a 9-1 overall record.
Worst Case Scenario
A still-shaky defense by Yale causes the team to stumble early. It doesn’t help the Bulldogs that they play five of their first six games on the road, including a trip to Hanover to face Dartmouth on October 10. Yale picks up one loss in this trip and gets another one before capping their season with a home game against Harvard. Yale loses to Harvard and concludes the season with a 7-3 overall record.
Complete Schedule
| DATE | TIME | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept 19 | @ Colgate | 1:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, Sept 26 | vs. Cornell | 1:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 3 | @ Lehigh | 12:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 10 | @ Dartmouth | 1:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 17 | @ Maine | 3:30 PM ET |
| Friday, October 23 | @ Penn | 3:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 31 | vs. Columbia | 7:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 7 | vs. Brown | 12:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 14 | @ Princeton | 2:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 21 | vs. Harvard | 2:30 PM ET |
Writer’s Prediction
Yale finishes the season second in the Ivy League standings with an 8-2 record.
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