Yale picked to capture Ivy League

The Yale football team was picked to win the Ivy League for the second season in a row.

Yale, coming off a 5-5 season, received nine of the 17 first-place votes in the annual media poll announced Thursday. Dartmouth, Princeton and Harvard combined for seven No. 1 votes and were predicted to end up in the No. 2, 3 and 4 slots while Columbia also received a first-place vote.

“To be recognized by the media among a league filled with strong teams which have talented players is always an honor,” said Yale coach Tony Reno, entering his eighth season. “Team No. 147 is excited to get the 2019 season started. We continue to strive to become the best version of ourselves each and every day.”

The Bulldogs suffered through an injured plagued 2018 season with starting quarterback Kurt Rawlings and top running back Zane Dudek, two of the stars during the Bulldogs’ run to the 2017 Ivy League title, among the key players sidelined.

Yale features two of the conference’s top receivers Reed Klubnik and JP Shohfi, who combined

for 128 catches, 1,979 yards and 15 touchdowns a season ago. The Bulldogs offense will also featuring returning first team All-Ivy League running back Alan Lamar giving Yale two of the four non-seniors on the first team All-Ivy offensive team in 2018.

The Bulldogs also return a pair of second team All-Ivy offensive linemen in seniors Dieter Eiselen and Sterling Strother and their top three tacklers on defense (Ryan Burke, Noah Pope and John Dean).

Yale opens the 2019 season Sept. 21 against Holy Cross at Yale Bowl. The Ivy League opener is Sept. 28 at home against Cornell.