Yale tops Army, 49-43, in renewed rivalry game

Army needed a waiver from the NCAA so it could play Yale on Saturday without hurting its bowl eligibility.

Yale plays in the Football Championship Subdivision and, as a member of the Ivy League, does not offer scholarships and does not play in the FCS postseason.

So much trouble for so much trouble.

Yale defeated Army, 49-43, on a three-yard run in overtime by Tyler Varga, who ran for 185 yards and five touchdowns in 28 carries.

The teams have a football series that dates to 1893, but they had not played since 1996 and Army had not visited the Yale Bowl — which is located about 87 miles from West Point — in 26 years.

Saturday’s game was arranged as Yale celebrates the 100th anniversary of its home field, which was the first football stadium to completely circle the playing field.

A crowd of more than 34,000 — about five times the number that showed up to watch Yale play Lehigh the previous week — witnessed an entertaining game. The teams combined for 1,222 yards in total offense, 625 yards by Yale.

Trivia but not trivial

Oberlin College’s place in college football history is secure for another year.

Ohio State defeated Cincinnati, 50-28, for its 40th consecutive win against an in-state opponent.

The streak dates to 1921, when Oberlin defeated Ohio State, 7-6.

The state of the programs has changed dramatically since then, of course. Ohio State has claimed seven national championships, and the Buckeyes, even in a down season, entered Saturday ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press media poll.

Oberlin competes at the non-scholarship NCAA Division III level, and the Yeomen lost Saturday at home to Wittenberg, 48-10.

Oberlin does have a cool name for its athletics website, though: Goyeo.com.

Coach’s edge

In his 13 years as a head coach, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer has at least one win against every head coach who has competed against him in at least two games.

Tommy Tuberville, while at Auburn, was 2-0 against Meyer, but he couldn’t keep his record perfect now that he’s at Cincinnati.

However, Tuberville is one of only two coaches who have won more than he’s lost against Meyer. The other: Alabama’s Nick Saban, who is also 2-1.

Family ties

Meyer’s family has a close relationship with Cincinnati. He played football and graduated there. His wife, Shelley, is also a Cincinnati grad, as are his sisters, GiGi, who is now the school’s vice provost for undergraduate affairs, and Erika, a former homecoming queen.

Brady’s bunch

A spiral for a quarterback is good. A spiral for a coach, and his football program, is bad.

Brady Hoke and Michigan are in a spiral.

Hoke won his first 19 home games at “The Big House” as Michigan’s coach. Since then, he’s 2-4 — 0-4 against teams from the so-called Power Five conferences.

The latest loss came Saturday against Minnesota, 30-14, as the Golden Gophers captured the Little Brown Jug — which goes to the winner of the annual game — for only the second time in 24 years.

It was Michigan’s third loss this season, marking the first time the Wolverines have lost three games by the end of September in the 135-year history of the school’s football program, according to ESPN researchers.

The flip side

Steve Addazio now knows how Steve Sarkisian felt.

Boston College, which upset USC two weeks ago, fell to Colorado State, 24-21.

“This is a devastating deal,” said Addazio, Boston College’s coach. “You hope somehow, some way, they’re able to learn. When you let [games] get away, they’re gone forever. Sometimes I don’t think young guys get it. You get 12 shots and when they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Yeah, pretty sure that’s something close to what Sark said, give or take a few expletives.

Lacking horsepower

Southern Methodist was routed at home by Texas Christian, 56-0, marking the third time this season the Mustangs were held without a touchdown.

SMU has been outscored, 202-12, in a 0-4 start that was accentuated by June Jones quitting as coach two games into the season.

Which brings to mind a tweet sent out by Jones’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, when the coach quit. It said Jones “had felt for some time he had accomplished [his] mission to turn around [the] program and [he] needed a break.”

Not sure about the turning around part, but no doubt it was good time for a break.

Times wire services contributed to this report.