Princeton Preview

The Yale Bulldogs host the Princeton Tigers on Saturday at the Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 12 PM ET and the game will air on ESPN+.

Princeton enters the contest with a 2-6 record as numerous injuries have plagued the Tigers all season. The Tigers are coming off a close loss to the Big Green in which Princeton trailed by just one score heading into the fourth quarter.

Quarterback play has been inconsistent for Princeton as junior Blaine Hipa (6’2”, 195 lbs.) has completed just 54.4% of his passes for 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Hipa seemed flustered early in the contest versus the Big Green but settled down to make a few clutch completions when needed. Senior QB Blaine McAllister (6’4”, 210 lbs.) saw limited action against Dartmouth before his arm snapped in a gruesome fashion. Senior RB John Volker (6’0”, 215 lbs.) is a very powerful back with blazing speed in the open field. Volker is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and has scored 4 touchdowns on the season. Sophomore RB Ethan Clarke (6’1”, 215 lbs.) has the talent to develop into a future star for the Tigers and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Princeton’s deep group of wide receivers is the strength of the team. Senior WR Luke Colella (5’10”, 190 lbs.) appears to be on track for a 1^st Team All-Ivy season with 30 catches for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns. Colella torched Yale’s secondary a year ago with 7 catches for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns. Senior WR AJ Barber (5’9”, 180 lbs.) is another son of Tiki Barber after the Bulldogs squared off against Chason Barber last week. Barber has been an honorable mention All-Ivy performer for two straight seasons and has 30 catches for 315 yards and a touchdown in 2024. Senior WR Matt Mahoney (6’2”, 190 lbs.) is a big-play threat with 21.4 yards per reception. Princeton’s offensive line averages 305.0 lbs. across the board and features 4 returning starters from 2023. The Tigers have allowed 35 sacks this season and struggled to contain Dartmouth’s talented front a week ago. The keys for the Bulldogs this week will be to shut down the running lanes and force Princeton to become one dimensional. In the passing game, the Bulldogs will need to put heavy pressure on Hipa while not allowing Colella and Barber to find open space in the secondary.

The heart of Princeton’s defense lies in its strong corps of linebackers. Princeton’s defense is led by sophomore LB Chase Christopher (6’1”, 215 lbs.) who has notched 58 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack. Junior LB Marco Scarano (6’0”, 200 lbs.) grew up in Connecticut and leads the Tigers in tackles for loss with an astounding 10. Freshman LB AJ Pigford (6’3”, 230 lbs.) blitzes often and leads the team with 2.5 sacks. Senior DL Jack DelGarbino (6’0”, 275 lbs.) is a former wrestler that is very hard to move at the point of attack. DelGarbino was an honorable mention All-Ivy performer in 2023 and has played very well against the run with 37 tackles. Senior DL Collin Taylor (6’5”, 260 lbs.) is a balanced lineman against the rush and pass with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Senior DB Nasir Hill (6’0”, 200 lbs.) is the most talented member of Princeton’s secondary and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy nominee in 2023. Hill has been very productive this season with 49 tackles and an interception. Junior DB Tahj Owens (5’11”, 205 lbs.) has been a crucial piece of the Tigers’ defense with 45 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries. Princeton’s defense has talent that is far ahead of Brown and in line with what we saw from Columbia. Disrupting the linebackers in the ground game will need to be a focal point of the offensive line this week. Princeton will likely send creative blitzes often to disrupt Jordan, so the offensive staff will need quick-hitting short passing plays and screens dialed up to keep Princeton’s defense off balance.

Princeton has been perfect on all 8 field goal attempts this season with two different kickers. Senior K Sam Massick (5’9”, 150 lbs.) is 3 of 3 on field goal attempts with a long of 28 yards, while senior K Jeffrey Sexton (6’2”, 180 lbs.) is 5 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards. Sophomore P Brady Clark (6’2”, 195 lbs.) has been tremendous this season with 42.2 yards per punt with 7 punts over 50 yards. Barber averages 9.8 yards per punt return and has a long return of 46 yards. This contest seems destined to go down to the wire, so the Bulldogs will need strong play in all phases of special teams to walk away victorious.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Tigers!