Yale Athletics

In their fourth Ivy matchup of the season, the Yale Bulldogs (4–2, 1–2 Ivy) take on the Columbia Lions 4–2, 2–1) on Nov. 1 under the Friday night lights. Columbia has two Ivy wins under their belt, taking down Princeton early in the season and the Penn Quakers a few weeks later. 

The Bulldogs secured their first Ivy win last week against the Quakers, showcasing the strong connection between wide receiver David Pantelis ’25 and quarterback Grant Jordan ’25. On game day, the pair completed eight catches and Pantelis amassed 123 yards, a career-best. Running backs Josh Pitsenberger ’26 and Tre Peterson ’25 also stepped up; Pitsenberger ran 83 yards with Peterson right on his heels running 80 yards. 

The Bulldog offense looks solid going into Friday’s competition and after their performance last weekend, fans should feel confident in their defense as well. The Bulldog’s defensive unit made some huge plays, including a fourth and goal stop on the line. 

On Friday, we should see more of this intensity on the line and in the backfield as the Bulldogs aim to lock down the Cole Freeman–Bryson Canty connection. The Lions have relied on this duo for much of their offensive gains this season. If the Bulldogs can get pressure to the pocket quickly and force Freeman to make mistakes, they should be able to keep the Lions’ points low. 

Canty is one of the premier wideouts in the Ivy League, who after missing most of last season with an injury has returned to his 2022 First Team All-Ivy form with six touchdowns on the season already. 

On an interesting note, the Lions’ current offensive coordinator Seitu Smith worked with Yale’s running backs last season as assistant head coach and run game coordinator, so hopefully this familiarity will give the Bulldogs a leg up on Friday.

The scouting report for Columbia is clear, this is a team built on defense. Boasting the best scoring defense in the Ivy League allowing just 17.3 points per game, the Lions have excelled at keeping their opponents off the board. 

This lockdown defense has been crucial for the Lions, but has also covered for an offense that has struggled to put points on the board.

One of the Bulldogs that will be working to keep the Lions offense in check will be the newly awarded Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, Yale safety Abu Kamara ’27. Kamara earned the honor after an action-filled game last week that saw him fill the stat sheet with a forced fumble, interception, sack and seven tackles. 

Kamara and the Bulldogs will square off with the Lions on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in New York City. The game can be watched on ESPNU and will be the second of three nationally televised games for Yale this season.