Photo Gallery

HAMILTON – Colgate appeared headed for its first win of the season before a late Yale rally turned the tables in a 29-28 heartbreaker.
 
Cameron Buttermore scooped up a fumble and raced 55 yards for a touchdown, and the Raiders rushed for three touchdowns but it wasn't enough. Yale scored two TDs in a 3:40 stretch of the fourth quarter and added a surprise two-point conversion for the winning margin.
 
After Yale opened the contest with a 14-play touchdown drive, Colgate took control of the game for the majority of the next three quarters.

Junior John Wilkins brought the Raiders level with a 2-yard rushing touchdown later in the first quarter. In the second period, Jake Melville added a 20-yard rushing TD and the fumble return by Buttermore gave Colgate a 21-7 margin at the break.
 
Linebacker Pat Afriyie caused the fumble on the quarterback sack, one of 2½ sacks he had in the game. Buttermore's pickup and rumble for the score was his first career touchdown.
 
Yale pulled within seven late in the third quarter on a 4-yard reception from Michael Siragusa Jr., only to see Colgate regain its 14-point cushion on a 12-yard touchdown run from Holland with 10:05 remaining.
 

But trailing 28-14, Yale drove 74 yards in seven plays and then 61 yards in seven plays – surrounded by a Colgate 3-and-out. The Bulldogs provided the eventual winning margin on the first PAT when Matthew Oplinger took a direct snap and zig-zagged his way into the end zone.
 
Colgate had a final chance when John Maddaluna III returned the final kickoff 46 yards to near midfield. But a first-down rush well into Yale territory was nullified by penalty. Colgate finished the game with 11 penalties for 100 yards and had two field goal attempts blocked.
 
Bottom Line
• Yale 29, Colgate 28

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 0-3.
• Yale begins its season 1-0.

Facts & Figures
• Colgate's three ball-carriers were effective and all three scored a touchdown.
• Wilkins led the way with a game-high 94 yards on 28 carries – both career highs. He previous best came in his first collegiate start at tailback when he went 23 for 90 at Air Force to open the 2013 season.
• Melville added 12 carries for 59 yards and Holland eight for 29.
• Those were Colgate's first three rushing touchdowns of the season.
• Melville was 11-of-21 passing for 140 yards.
• Colgate won the turnover battle 2-0 but had two field goals blocked – a 34-yarder in the first quarter and a 36-yarder in the third.
• Yale's Foyesade Oluokun blocked both kicks in addition to his eight tackles and a pass breakup.
• Colgate placed four tacklers in double-figures.
• Kyle Diener led the way for the second week in a row with 13, while Buttermore added a career-high 11, Chris Morgan 10 and Christian Hardegree a career-high 10.
 

More Key Info
• Buttermore's 55-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the first by a Raider since Austin Dier ran one back 14 yards at Stony Brook in 2012
• Afriyie nearly matched his career high from a year ago with 2½ sacks in the game. He had three in the 2014 season final at Bucknell.
• In addition to his sacks, Afriyie posted another tackle for loss (3½ TFLs for minus-17 yards), forced the fumble that Buttermore took to the house and earned two quarterback hurries.
• Colgate for the third time in three games won the time of possession category. The Raiders held the ball for 33:14 to Yale's 26:46.
• Yale finished with a slight edge in yards, 365-330. The Bulldog majority came through the air, with quarterback Morgan Roberts completing 29-of-41 for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
• Colgate cornerback Ty McCollum picked off the first pass of his career with a diving catch late in the first quarter.
• Raiders punter Nikko Armiento had a season-long 52-yard punt that was downed by Colgate's coverage unit at the Yale 1. That kick led to a Bulldogs 3-and-out and ensuing Raider score that gave Colgate a 14-7 lead midway in the second.
 
Turning Point
• Colgate regained a two-touchdown lead when Holland raced 12 yards to the end zone with 10:05 remaining to make the score 28-14.
• But Yale buckled down and put together a pair of seven-play drives, one of 74 yards and the other of 61.
• A trick-play two-point conversion after the first touchdown wound up providing the winning margin.
 
From the Source

• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On the game) "At times we played OK, but that's a game we've got to learn how to win. That's a good football team and we played a little better on offense today.
"The kids played hard. We lost two offensive linemen – I don't know for how long. We've just got to get over that hump to win a game. Once we do, we'll be OK.
(On the two-point play) "We had worked on the two-point play and we knew they were going to do it. We just didn't execute."
(On the Buttermore touchdown) "That was a great play. The defense for a lot of the game was really in control of it, and that was good to see. We've got to be able to finish and stay in control of the game. Both sides of the ball have to be able to do that."
(On next week at Holy Cross) "I wish we were playing right now. All we can be is 1-0 next week and that's going to be our goal. We're going to put this game behind us and get going in league play."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Saturday's Homecoming crowd inside Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium was 7,343.
• That's the second year in a row Colgate's Homecoming crowd has topped the 7,000 mark. Last year's total to see a 27-12 victory over Cornell was 7,522, which was the largest home crowd for any game since 2005.
• Buttermore was a pregame captain, replacing the injured Victor Steffen.
• Colgate for Homecoming wore the 125th anniversary season logo on both sides of their helmets.
 
Up Next
• Colgate opens Patriot League play next Saturday at Holy Cross.
• Kickoff is noon, with the American Sports Network televising.

Game Archive

• Colgate's three ball-carriers were effective and all three scored a touchdown.