TIMELINE OF YALE FOOTBALL
Oct. 31, 1872
David Schley Schaff, Elliot S. Miller, Samuel Elder and other members of the class of 1873 call a
meeting of the Yale student body. From it emerges the Yale Football Association, the first formal
entity to govern the game at Yale. Schaff is elected president and team captain.
Nov. 16, 1872
With faculty approval, Yale meets Columbia, the nearest football-playing college, at Hamilton Park in
New Haven. The game is essentially soccer with 20-man sides, played on a field 400 by 250 feet.
Yale wins 3-0, Tommy Sherman scoring the first goal and Lew Irwin the other two.
Nov. 15, 1873
Yale and Princeton inaugurate what will become Yale’s longest rivalry. Princeton wins 3 goals to 0.
Nov. 13, 1875
Yale and Harvard meet for the first time at Hamilton Park. The game is played under the so-called
“concessionary rules”—15 players on a side and running with the ball permitted as in rugby, a round
ball and only goals counting as in soccer. A crowd of 2,000 pays 50 cents a head—twice the normal
price for a Yale game—to watch Harvard win 4-0.
1880
Walter Camp, in his third year as Yale’s delegate at the Intercollegiate Football Association rules
convention, persuades the meeting to accept 11-man, rather than 15-man, sides. He also replaces
rugby’s scrum with the scrimmage, which “takes place when the holder of the ball…puts it down on
the ground in front of him and puts it in play by snapping it back with his foot.”
Nov. 24, 1881
Princeton, using stalling tactics, holds Yale to a 0-0 tie after two overtimes. Camp’s response is to
create the downs system in the rules for 1882. A team must gain 5 yards in three downs, retreat 10
yards or give up the ball.
1883
Camp completes the basic structure of American football by instituting numerical scoring values:
touchdown, 2 points; goal after touchdown, 4; field goal, 5; safety, 1. In stages over the next 29 years,
the will gain value at the expense of goal-kicking. By 1912 a TD is 6 points, a conversion 1, field goal
3 and safety 2. The 2-point conversion, discussed in Camp’s lifetime, will be added in 1958.
Oct. 1, 1884
Yale plays for the first time at the original Yale Field on Derby Avenue (across the street from Yale
Bowl). The Blue beats Wesleyan 31-0.
Nov. 5, 1884
Wyllys Terry sets a record that still stands by running the length of the field—110 yards—to score in a
46-0 defeat of Wesleyan.
Oct. 30, 1886
Wesleyan is the victim of another record as Yale’s Henry Beecher scores 11 touchdowns in a game.
Yale wins by its highest score ever, 136-0.
1888
Yale completes a 13-game schedule unbeaten, untied and unscored upon, piling up 698 points.
1889
Yale places three men—Pudge Heffelfinger, Charley Gill and Amos Alonzo Stagg—among the 11 on
the first All-America team. Sportswriter Caspar Whitney publishes the selections in his magazine The
Week’s Sport, apparently with input from Walter Camp. The same year, Handsome Dan, the Yale
bulldog, appears at his first football game, becoming the first collegiate mascot.
1890
Amos Alonzo Stagg, Yale degree in hand, takes the football coaching job at Springfield YMCA
College. It’s the start of a head coaching career that won’t end until December 1946.
Nov. 27, 1890
A crowd of 30,000 at Eastern Park in Brooklyn sees T. Lee “Bum” McClung score four touchdowns in
a 32-0 rout of Princeton. Yale’s share of the gate, $11,185, brings football revenues for the year to
$18,392, enough to pay for the entire athletic program.
Sept. 20, 1892
Walter Camp receives a letter: “Will you kindly furnish me with some points on the best way to
develop a good football team. I am…connected with this University and have been asked to coach
the team.” It’s signed by James Kivlan, University of Notre Dame.
November 1892
After coaching Yale to a 67-2 record in five seasons, Walter Camp heads west and becomes parttime coach of Stanford. He’ll leave active coaching in 1895 with a career record of 79-5-3.
Nov. 24, 1894
Yale, led by four-time All-American Frank Hinkey at end, defeats Harvard 12-4 in a match of
unbeaten teams in Springfield, Mass. The game is so violent that the schools suspend relations until
1897.
Nov. 24, 1900
Yale’s “Team of the Century,” with four-time All-American Gordon Brown at guard, crushes previously
unbeaten Harvard 28-0 at Yale Field to complete a 12-0 season. Some in the crowd of 22,000 try out
a new Yale song: “Boola, Boola.”
Nov. 12, 1904
Another Yale song, “Down the Field,” makes its debut at Princeton’s University Field, where Yale
shuts out the Tigers 12-0.
Jan. 27, 1906
In response to deaths and injuries in 1905 games, the football rules committee agrees to sweeping
changes, making the forward pass legal for the first time. The committee’s 14 members include three
Yale men: Walter Camp; A.A. Stagg, coach at the University of Chicago; and Dr. Harry Williams,
coach at Minnesota.
1909
Yale grad Howard Jones, destined to become a coaching legend at Southern California, hits the
jackpot in his one season coaching his alma mater. Yale goes undefeated, untied and unscored-on in
10 games, blanking previously unbeaten Harvard 8-0 in the finale.
Oct. 17, 1914
Notre Dame comes to Yale Field with a 27-game unbeaten streak and leaves a 28-0 loser. Knute
Rockne, in 1914 an assistant coach at Notre Dame, later will call the defeat “the most valuable lesson
Notre Dame ever had in football. It taught us never to be cocksure.”
Nov. 21, 1914
Yale Bowl, largest stadium yet built in America, opens with a capacity crowd of 70,000. Only those on
the visitors’ side are happy as Harvard triumphs, 36-0.
Sept. 30, 1916
Yale players wear jersey numbers for the first time in a 25-0 victory over Carnegie Tech. Captain
Cupe Black, a guard, is issued No. 1.
1918
With World War I raging, Yale suspends football for a year. Among the war’s victims is 1915 captain
Alex Wilson, killed as an infantry captain in France.
Nov. 3, 1923
The largest crowd ever to watch a Yale game—estimated at 80,000—sees coach T.A.D. Jones’ team
surge back from a 10-7 halftime deficit to rout Army 31-10. Yale will go on to a perfect (8-0) season.
March 13-14, 1925
Walter Camp, 65, dies in his sleep between sessions of a football rules committee meeting in New
York.
Nov. 19, 1927
T.A.D. Jones, doing well in his offseason businesses, ends his coaching career with a 14-0 victory at
Harvard. Yale winds up 7-1, losing only to national championship claimant Georgia.
Oct. 26, 1929
With Yale down 13-0 in the second quarter against Army, coach Mal Stevens sends in a 5-foot-7
sophomore tailback, Albie Booth. Booth rushes for 144 yards, runs back a punt 70 yards, scores
three touchdowns and kicks the extra points for a 21-13 Yale victory.
Oct. 31, 1931
The Bowl is a madhouse. Albie Booth scores three touchdowns—on a 94-yard kickoff return, a 22yard pass and a 53-yard run. Dartmouth’s Wild Bill McCall matches him with scoring plays of 76, 92
and 60 yards. A 23-point Yale lead goes down the tubes and the teams tie, 33-33.
Nov. 17, 1934
In one of its greatest upsets, Yale, and its “Iron Men,” makes a first-quarter touchdown stand up for a
7-0 victory over Princeton, the Tigers’ only loss in a span of 30 games. Sophomore Larry Kelley,
destined to win the Heisman Trophy in 1936, makes one of his first big plays, scoring on a 49-yard
pass from Jerry Roscoe.
Oct. 17, 1936
Larry Kelley sets off a furor in the Navy game at Baltimore when he kicks a ball fumbled by Navy’s
Sneed Schmidt. Yale recovers on the Middies’ 2-yard line and Clint Frank goes over for a 12-7
victory. Yale coach Ducky Pond calls the kick accidental and Schmidt agrees. Even so, there’s clamor
for a rule change—but only a footnote results.
Nov. 13, 1937
On a soggy field, Clint Frank rushes 19 times for 190 yards and four touchdowns in a 26-0 romp
against Princeton. Numbers like that pay off at season’s end as Frank becomes Yale’s second
Heisman Trophy winner.
Oct. 4, 1941
Spike Nelson, Yale’s first head coach who is not an alumnus, sees his team rally for an opening 2119 upset of Virginia. It’s the only highlight as Yale loses its next seven games and Nelson is replaced
by Howie Odell.
1944
With most of the campus taken over by World War II armed service trainees, Howie Odell patches
together an undefeated (7-0-1) team, Yale’s first in 20 years. Missing from the schedule are Princeton
and Harvard, which have suspended varsity football for the duration.
Sept. 28, 1946
Levi Jackson, Yale’s first African-American football player, makes his debut, scoring twice as the
Bulldogs beat the Merchant Marine Academy 33-0. By the time he’s done in 1949, he’ll own Yale
records in rushing, punting, punt returns and kickoff returns.
December 1946
Fritz Barzilauskas, a Yale guard, is chosen in the first round of the NFL draft by the Boston Yanks,
becoming the third player taken overall. He receives a record salary for a rookie lineman: $9,000.
Nov. 19-20, 1948
First-year head coach Herman Hickman recites “Spartacus to the Gladiators” at the final practice to
fire up his troops for Harvard. It’s wasted as Harvard wins 20-7.
Nov. 22, 1952
Yale pounds Harvard 41-14 and Jordan Olivar, who has succeeded Herman Hickman, lets the kids
have fun. Charley Yeager, team manager, suits up at halftime and scores the 41st point on a pass
from Ed Molloy.
1954
The Presidents’ Agreement of 1954 brings the Ivy League colleges together under a pact that covers
scheduling, eligibility, scholarships, spring practice and postseason play.
Nov. 24, 1956
Yale crushes Harvard 42-14 to clinch the first formal Ivy championship. Yale goes 7-0 in the league,
8-1 overall.
1959
Yale goes through its first five games unbeaten, untied and unscored-on, something no major team
has done since 1943. The streak carries 10 minutes and 46 seconds into the third quarter of Game 6
against Dartmouth, but then everything unravels. The Bulldogs lose that game and two of the next
three.
1960
No slip-ups this year as Yale (9-0) goes undefeated and untied for the first time since 1923. Stars
include captain and tackle Mike Pyle, headed for the Chicago Bears, and All-America guard Ben
Balme.
March 6, 1963
John Pont is named head coach after Jordan Olivar’s resignation to pursue West Coast business
interests.
Nov. 22, 1963
President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on a Friday afternoon prompts Yale and Harvard to
postpone The Game. Their action sets a precedent as almost 90 percent of the nation’s colleges
follow suit.
Jan. 29, 1965
Carm Cozza, an assistant on John Pont’s staff, is named Yale’s head coach after Pont’s departure for
Indiana. Cozza’s tenure will last longer than any other at Yale—32 seasons.
Sept. 24, 1966
Brian Dowling throws the first of the 30 touchdown passes in his Yale career. Despite injuries that
cost him the equivalent of a full season, he’ll compile the best record by a Yale quarterback since the
early 1900s—15 victories, no losses, one tie.
Nov. 23, 1968
For the first time since 1909, Yale and Harvard both arrive at the final game undefeated. The
outcome matches the hoopla: Harvard rallies for 16 points in the last 42 seconds, earning a 29-29 tie
that gives both sides final records of 8-0-1.
1969
Dallas selects running back Calvin Hill in the opening round of the NFL draft, making him the second
Yalie to be a first-round pick. Hill justifies the Cowboys’ confidence by winning the NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year award.
Nov. 25, 1972
Dick Jauron rushes for 183 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown run, as Yale comes back from a 170 deficit to beat Harvard 28-17. Jauron is the first Yale runner to top 1,000 yards in a season (1,055)
and pushes his career rushing total to 2,947.
Nov. 23, 1974
Yale comes within 15 seconds of a perfect season. Harvard’s Milt Holt drives his team 90 yards in the
last 5 minutes and scores to spoil Yale’s year, 21-16.
Nov. 20, 1976
Carm Cozza, after retiring as coach to become Yale’s full-time athletic director, decides coaching is
what really counts and quits the athletic director’s job.
Nov. 12, 1977
John Pagliaro’s 172 rushing yards in a 24-7 win over Harvard give him a record season total of 1,159.
Oct. 4, 1980
Yale holds off Air Force, 17-16, for Carm Cozza’s 100th victory as head coach.
Oct. 11, 1980
Yale plays its first night game. Boston College prevails 27-9 despite the defensive efforts of Kevin
Czinger, the only middle guard to be named the Ivy League’s most valuable player.
Nov. 14, 1981
Princeton’s Bob Holly scores with 4 seconds left to beat Yale 35-31, spoiling the Bulldogs’ bid for a
perfect season. The defeat ends a 14-year Yale winning streak against Princeton. Lost in the
excitement is a Yale record by Rich Diana: 222 rushing yards on 46 carries.
Oct. 4, 1986
Junior quarterback Kelly Ryan, throwing from shotgun formation because of a bad knee, passes for
426 yards in a 41-24 loss to Army.
1987
Kelly Ryan and friends work their aerial magic for three last-minute victories: 30-27 over Connecticut,
0:18 left; 40-34 over William & Mary, 0:23 left; 28-22 over Penn, 0:06 left. They almost do it again in a
sub-zero wind chill against Harvard, but a late fumble lets the Crimson edge Yale for the Ivy title, 1410.
Nov. 11, 1989
A 14-7 victory at Princeton gives Yale its 150th victory under Carm Cozza and a share of the Ivy
championship.
Nov. 23, 1996
A Yale rally falls short as the Blue bows to Harvard, 26-21, in Carm Cozza’s final game as coach. He
retires with a league-record 179 victories, a .599 winning percentage and 10 whole or partial Ivy titles.
Sept. 20, 1997
Jack Siedlecki makes his debut as Yale coach, and it’s not fun. Forced by injuries to start a freshman
quarterback, Siedlecki sees his squad fall 52-14 to Brown. It’s the start of a 1-9 season.
Nov. 20, 1999
Yale beats Harvard 24-21 to complete a 9-1 season, reversing the record of Siedlecki’s first year. Joe
Walland (42 for 67, 437 yards) throws the winning TD pass to Eric Johnson with 29 seconds left.
Johnson’s 21 catches and 244 receiving yards are Yale single-game records. Yale gains a share
(with Brown) of the Ivy League title, its first since 1989.
Sept. 16, 2000
Yale defeats Dayton 42-6 to become the first gridiron program—scholastic, college or pro—to win 800
games.
Nov. 18, 2000
Rashad Bartholomew’s 119 yards in a 34-24 victory at Harvard give him two Yale rushing records:
1,232 yards for the season, 3,015 for his career.
Sept. 28, 2002
Alvin Cowan, destined to become Yale’s career passing leader (5,481 yards), breaks a leg in the
opening series at Cornell. Running back Robert Carr takes up the slack with a school-record 235-yard
rushing day at Yale wins 50-23. Carr will go on to set a Yale career rushing record of 3,393 yards.
Oct. 25, 2003
After a 28-point fourth-quarter rally, Yale falls to Penn in overtime, 34-31. It’s Yale’s first overtime
game in 122 years.
April 2004
Nate Lawrie, Yale’s tight end, is a sixth-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming
the 42nd Yale player drafted by an NFL club.
Nov. 19, 2005
Yale and Harvard set a precedent: For the first time in their rivalry they play overtime. They go to a
third OT period before Clifton Dawson’s touchdown wins it for Harvard, 30-24.
Nov. 18, 2006
Mike McLeod scores three touchdowns as Yale crushes Harvard 34-13 and gains a share of the Ivy
title with Princeton. It’s Yale’s 14th Ivy championship and second under Jack Siedlecki.
Oct 13, 2007
Two weeks after breaking Yale’s one-game rushing record with 256 yards in a five-touchdown
showing against Holy Cross, McLeod breaks the record again with 276 yards against Lehigh.
Nov. 22, 2008
Though shut out by Harvard in his final game, McLeod concludes his career with a host of modern
Yale records, including rushing yards (4,514), all-purpose yards (5,320) and touchdowns (55).
Jan. 7, 2009
Tom Williams is named Yale’s head coach, replacing Jack Siedlecki.
Jan. 12, 2012
Former Yale assistant Tony Reno is named Yale’s head coach, replacing Tom Williams.
Sept. 27, 2014
On a day that included marching Cadets, Black Knight parachutists and an Army helicopter flyover,
Tyler Varga scores 5 TDs (185 yards), including the winner in OT, to lead Yale in a 49-43 win over
Army during the 100th anniversary season of Yale Bowl.
Nov. 15, 2014
The culmination of the Bowl’s anniversary season brings 44 of the 67 All-Yale Bowl Team (“Legends
of the Bowl”) back for the Princeton game and a halftime ceremony that is the finishing touches on a
weekend of events.