PRINCETON, N.J. – Ivies posted a record of 5-3 on Saturday as the 2021 Ivy League football campaign kicked off.
This marks the 13th time in the past 16 seasons that Ivy League teams collectively posted .500-or-better opening weekend record. Since the 2005 season, the league is 76-52 on opening day.
Holy Cross 20, Yale 17
- p.m. // New Haven, Conn. // Yale Bowl
- Holy Cross topped Yale, 20-17, in tight contest at the Yale Bowl. Crusaders kicker Derek Ng booted a 47-yard game-winning field goal with 48 second remaining to break a 17-17 tie.
- Yale quarterback Griffin O’Connor was 15-for-29 passing, good for 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the afternoon.
- Bulldogs linebacker John Dean led the defensive effort with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss.
Princeton 32, Lehigh 0
12 p.m. // Bethlehem, Pa. // Goodman Stadium
- Princeton impressed in its season-opener with a 32-0 shutout over Lehigh on the road. The Tigers finished with 516 yards of total offense and limited the Mountain Hawks to 92.
- Princeton quarterback Cole Smith was 30-for-41 passing for 412 yards and three touchdowns.
- Defensively, Princeton denied the Mountain Hawks of a ground game, as Lehigh finished with -25 rushing yards.
Rhode Island 45, Brown 24
12:30 p.m. // Providence, R.I. // Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium
- Rhode Island claimed the 105th Governor’s Cup matchup between the Bears and the Rams. Brown leads the overall series 73-30-2.
- The Bears cut the Rams lead to 17-14 with a 15-play 83 scoring drive capped off by an Allen Smith three-yard touchdown run, but Rhode Island scored 21 consecutive points.
- Brown’s EJ Perry threw for 345 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Harvard 44, Georgetown 9
12:30 p.m. // Washington, D.C. // Cooper Field
- 27th year head Tim Murphy tied Cam Cozza (Yale, 1965–1996) for the most games won in Ivy League history. Murphy owns a record of 179-81 at the helm of the Crimson football program.
- Harvard improved its all-time record against Georgetown to 5-0 with a 44-9 victory over the Hoyas in the nation’s capital.
- Crimson running back Aaron Shampklin rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries.
Columbia 37, Marist 14,
1 p.m. // New York, N.Y. // Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium
- After allowing two touchdowns in the first five minutes of action to fall behind 14-0, Columbia scored 37 unanswered points to top in-state rival Marist, 37-14.
- Led by running back Dante Miller’s 117 yards, the Lions ground game accounted for 321 of Columbia’s 463 yards of total offense.
- Columbia defensive back Fara’ad McCombs and linebacker Justin Woodley led the team with seven tackles apiece.
#22 VMI 31, Cornell 21
2 p.m. // Ithaca, N.Y. // Schoellkopf Field
- The Big Red tested No. 22 VMI in its season-opener, but ultimately fell by a score of 31-21 to the Keydets.
- Cornell wide receiver Thomas Glover had a break-through performance with a career-high seven receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown.
- On the other side of the ball, safety Logan Thut had a team-high seven tackles.
Dartmouth 28, Valparaiso 18
2 p.m. // Valparaiso, Ind. // Brown Field
- Dartmouth earned a win on the road over Valparaiso, coming away with a 28-18 victory.
- Big Green quarterback Derek Kyler was 15-for-22 passing with 177 yards and three touchdowns.
- Linebacker Jalen Mackie had a career game with 11 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage, and an interception which set up Dartmouth’s final touchdown of the afternoon.
Penn 30, Bucknell 6
6 p.m. // Lewisburg, Pa. // Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium
- Penn cruised to a 30-6 win over Bucknell on the road Saturday evening.
- Quakers quarterback John Quinnelly was 15-for-22 through the air, good for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
- Penn had a pair of receivers with over 100 yards receiving in Rory Starkey (113) and Ryan Cragun (110).