Yale deals Columbia first loss of season

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Kurt Rawlings ran for a touchdown and threw for another and Yale’s defense stymied Columbia, ending the Lions’ best start in 21 years with a 23-6 win on Saturday.

Rawlings scored in the first quarter on a 1-yard run to make it 13-0 at the half and iced it for the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1) with a 9-yard toss to Michael Siragusa Jr. in the third quarter.

Columbia (6-1, 3-1), which was looking to go 7-0 for the first time since 1932, came in averaging 400 yards a game, but was limited to 206 yards and turned the ball over twice. Columbia’s 6-0 start had matched that of the 1996 team, which was the most recent squad to post a winning record for the Lions.

“I’ve been trying to tell everybody to keep things in context,” Columbia coach Al Bagnoli told the New Haven Register. “We hadn’t played 50 percent of our Ivy League games before today. … We knew we’d have our hands full. I think everybody’s got to be careful.”

Anders Hill, who entered completing 66 percent of his passes for 327 yards a game, was just 15of-35 for 175 yards with two interceptions for the Lions.

Hill’s 1-yard run late in the third accounted for the Lions’ only score. The Lions, averaging 123 yards on the ground, netted just 31 yards on 24 attempts (1.3-yard average).

Ryan Gilbert had a career high 18 tackles, 13 solo, for Columbia.

Zane Dudek rushed for 173 yards on 25 carries as Yale piled up 251 yards on the ground.

The Bulldogs took the lead on with a trick play on their second possession, with holder Andrew Johnson finding tight end Jaeden Graham for a 10-yard TD on a fake field goal.