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Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
The Daily Pennsylvanian

Crimson face yet another big test in Lehigh

Either Princeton or Columbia to finish weekend still perfect

It's the Ivy League opener for both teams, and not only that, both teams are 2-0 overall.

What more could you ask for?

Well, if there's one thing, it would be for the teams not to be named Columbia and Princeton.

So for one week, the showdown of the undefeateds does not get top billing.

Lehigh (2-1) at Harvard (2-0)

Some teams have all the luck.

This season, Harvard has Penn at home, had Brown at home last week, and now has No. 14 Lehigh at home.

But with the services of junior running back Clifton Dawson, the Division I-AA leader in rushing yards per game, the No. 15 Crimson may not need any of that luck.

Look for the Mountain Hawks to make this one quite a game. Quarterback Mark Borda has completed 66 percent of his passes, averaging 280 yards per game through the air.

When Harvard has the ball, this game will be a classic case of "something's gotta give."

Lehigh ranks 10th in Division I-AA in rushing defense, while Dawson has averaged 171 yards per game on the ground.

The Mountain Hawks allowed five touchdowns to Delaware running back Omar Cuff, and Dawson will be looking to do exactly the same.

Columbia (2-0) at Princeton (2-0)

Yes, one of these teams will be undefeated following Week 3.

The Lions, who rode their special teams to a win against Fordham and got a slow start before beating mid-major Duquesne, are 2-0 for the first time since 1996. That year, they went 6-0 before falling to the Tigers.

Princeton, meanwhile, is 2-0 following a win against an uncharacteristically weak Bucknell team and a win last week over San Diego.

Princeton holds a huge edge in the all-time series, with 60 wins to the Lions' 13, and they are big favorites to make it 61 tomorrow.

Holy Cross (2-2) at Yale (1-1)

Don't let the Crusaders' record fool you.

Holy Cross was cruising at 2-0 until the buzzsaws known as No. 15 Harvard and No. 5 Delaware came rolling through.

After putting up 104 points in routs of Sacred Heart and Georgetown, Holy Cross was respectable against the Crimson and the Blue Hens.

Handicapping this one would be a lot easier if it were certain which Yale team will show up.

Will it be the one that dropped the Week 1 contest to San Diego, or the one that came back the next week in a romp over Cornell?

Rhode Island (3-1) at Brown (1-1)

From the most schizophrenic team in the Ivy League to the most heartbroken.

Brown found itself with a 16-0 lead last week at Harvard, only to lose the game in double overtime, thanks in part to a missed field goal in the second extra session.

Now all that shows up on the Bears' record is a one in the loss column.

Brown will try to take out its frustration on the Rams, but that won't be easy.

Rhode Island was ranked in the top 25 until losing to Massachusetts, and boasts a high-powered offense that went silent against the Minutemen.

The previous two weeks, the Rams put up 104 points in a pair of wins, including one over No. 17 William and Mary.

Four running backs with more than 140 yards already this season contribute to a rushing attack that is ranked third in the nation after four games.

Cornell (1-1) at Colgate (1-2)

Colgate is trying to avoid a rare feat -- losing to Dartmouth and Cornell in the same season.