RFC Throwback Thursday: Princeton vs. Yale in "The Block Game"-1881

(Video courtesy of the Hardcore College Football History YouTube Channel.)

Imagine playing a game that was so bad back then, it led to significant changes that helped create the sport of college football as we know it today. 

Well, that's what this week's post of "RFC Throwback Thursday" is all about. This edition takes us back to 1881, when Princeton faced Yale in the so-called "Block Game".

The contest in question pitted the undefeated Tigers against the undefeated Bulldogs on November 24, 1881. In a game that bore more resemblance to rugby than the modern American game of today, both teams fought to a 0-0 tie. The lack of scoring, for all intents and purposes, led to numerous rule changes that resulted in the invention of modern American football. Among the changes was the invention of the "down and distance" rule (ex, "1st down and 10 yards to go").

As for how both teams' seasons turned out, Princeton finished the 1881 season with a record of 7-0-2, while Yale ended its campaign with a 5-0-1 mark.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of October 4, 2025 Part 2

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

Editor's Note: All games listed will be played on Saturday, October 4, 2025, unless otherwise indicated.

FBS Group Of Five

Coastal Carolina (2-2) at Old Dominion (3-1)

FCS

West Georgia (5-0) at Austin Peay (3-2)

NCAA Division II

Findlay (4-0) at Walsh (4-0)

(The Oilers hit the road to face the Cavaliers in a clash of undefeated teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference!!!!!)

Carson-Newman (3-1) at Emory & Henry (4-1)

(The Eagles travel into southwestern Virginia to take on the Wasps in a critical South Atlantic Conference contest!!!!!)

East Stroudsburg (3-1) at West Chester (3-1)

(The Golden Rams play host to the Warriors in a showdown of 1-0 teams from the PSAC East Division!!!!!)

East Central (Okla.)-(3-1) at Harding (4-0)

(The Bisons battle the Tigers in a key Great American Conference game!!!!)

Nebraska-Kearney (4-1) at Pittsburg State (Kan.)-(3-2)

(The Gorillas play host to the Lopers in a huge Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up!!!!!)

Colorado State-Pueblo (4-1) at New Mexico Highlands (3-1)

(The Thunderwolves take on the Cowboys in a major RMAC match-up on the road!!!!!)

Davenport (2-1) at Grand Valley State (2-1)

Mars Hill (3-1) at Catawba (4-1)

Wingate (3-1) at Newberry (3-1)

Central Missouri (2-2) at Central Oklahoma (2-2)

Eastern New Mexico (1-3) at Central Washington (3-1)

NCAA Division III

Friday, October 3

Dickinson (2-1) at Johns Hopkins (3-0)

Saturday, October 4

College of New Jersey (3-0) at Salisbury (3-0)

Ursinus (3-0) at Muhlenberg (3-0)

(Check out these two games that are being played in the early afternoon window on the East Coast, between four unbeaten teams!!!!!)

Wisconsin-Stout (2-1) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire (3-0)

Wisconsin-La Crosse (2-0) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (3-0)

Wisconsin-Oshkosh (2-1) at Wisconsin-River Falls (3-0)

Wisconsin-Stevens Point (3-0) at Wisconsin-Platteville (3-0)

(The winners of all four of these games will start WIAC play at 1-0 when all is said and done in Wisconsin this weekend!!!!!)

St. John's (Minn.)-(3-0) at Bethel (Minn.)-(3-0)

(Finally, it's the Johnnies against the Royals in a showdown of undefeated squads in the MIAC!!!!!)

Utica (3-1) at Cortland (3-1)

Brockport (3-1) at St. John Fisher (3-1)

Ithaca (3-1) at Rochester (3-1)

NAIA

Cumberlands (Ky.)-(3-1) at Campbellsville (4-0)

Lindsey Wilson (4-0) at Georgetown (Ky.)-(3-1)

(The undefeated Tigers play host to the Patriots, while Blue Raiders hit the road to battle the one-loss Tigers, to open Mid-South Conference play!!!!!)

St. Francis (Ind.)-(3-1) at Taylor (3-1)

(The Cougars hit the road to take on the Trojans in a clash of one-loss teams in the Mid-States Football Association!!!!!)

Concordia (Neb.)-(3-0) at Mount Marty (3-1)

(The unbeaten Bulldogs battle the one-loss Lancers in an unlikely showdown for supremacy in the Great Plains Athletic Conference!!!!!)

Briar Cliff (4-1) at Dordt (3-0)

(In another key GPAC match-up, the undefeated Defenders play host to the Chargers!!!!!)

Grand View (4-0) at William Penn (5-0)

(The defending national champion Vikings square off against the surprising Statesmen in a battle of unbeaten teams in the HAAC North Division!!!!!)

Florida Memorial (1-2) at Southeastern (Fla.)-(3-0)

Montana Western (3-1) at Southern Oregon (1-3)

Dakota State (3-1) at Montana Tech (5-0)

Union Commonwealth (1-2) at Reinhardt (1-3)

Bluefield (Va.)-(1-3) at Point (0-4)

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of October 4, 2025 Part 1

Last Week: 41-23 (.641)

This Year: 235-115 (.671)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five vs. FBS Group Of Five

Thursday, October 2

Sam Houston State (0-4) at New Mexico State (2-2)

Friday, October 3

Western Kentucky (3-1) at Delaware (3-1)

(The Hilltoppers hit the road to battle the Blue Hens in a key Conference USA clash!!!!!)

Charlotte (1-3) at South Florida (3-1)

New Mexico (3-1) at San Jose State (1-3)

Colorado State (1-3) at San Diego State (3-1)

Saturday, October 4

UTSA (2-2) at Temple (2-2)

(The Roadrunners will also hit the road to take on the Owls in the American Conference opener for both teams!!!!!)

Florida Atlantic (3-2) at Rice (1-3)

Air Force (1-3) at Navy (4-0)

Eastern Michigan (1-4) at Buffalo (2-3)

Florida International (2-2) at UConn (3-2)

Western Michigan (2-3) at UMass (0-4)

Miami (Ohio)-(1-3) at Northern Illinois (1-3)

Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-2)

South Alabama (1-4) at Troy (2-2)

UNLV (4-0) at Wyoming (2-2)

Nevada (1-3) at Fresno State (4-1)

FCS vs. FCS

Friday, October 3

Rhode Island (4-0) at Brown (1-1)

Saturday, October 4

Yale (2-0) at Lehigh (5-0)

(The Mountain Hawks play host to the surprising Bulldogs from the Ivy League, in a battle of unbeaten teams!!!!!)

Villanova (2-2) at New Hampshire (3-2)

(A "Battle of the Wildcats" ensues in northern New England, with the winner keeping themselves in both the CAA championship and FCS playoff discussion!!!!!)

Elon (3-2) at Towson (3-2)

(The Tigers from Maryland take on the Phoenix from North Carolina, with both teams entering this critical clash at 1-0 in CAA action!!!!!)

South Dakota State (4-0) at Youngstown State (3-1)

(The Jackrabbits head east towards Ohio to square off against the Penguins in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams!!!!!)

Northern Arizona (4-1) at Montana State (3-2)

(The Bobcats battle the Lumberjacks in a showdown where both squads sit at 1-0 in Big Sky Conference play!!!!!)

Presbyterian (5-0) at Butler (3-2)

Delaware State (3-2) at Monmouth (N.J.)-(3-1)

East Tennessee State (2-3) at Furman (3-1)

Stephen F. Austin (3-2) at Incarnate Word (2-3)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2) at Texas Southern (1-3)

Bethune-Cookman (2-3) at Alabama State (3-1)

Grambling State (3-2) at Texas Southern (1-3)

Jackson State (3-1) at Alabama A&M (3-2)

North Dakota (2-2) at Northern Iowa (2-2)

Indiana State (2-2) at Southern Illinois (3-1)

Robert Morris (1-3) at Merrimack (2-3)

Sacred Heart (4-1) at Central Connecticut State (2-3)

Montana (4-0) at Idaho State (2-3)

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RFC Throwback Thursday: Rice Football Highlights-1972

(Video courtesy of Rice University)

This week's edition of "RFC Throwback Thursday" takes a look back at the 1972 Rice University Owls football team. After two early-season wins over Houston and Clemson, respectively, the Owls struggled through a five-game winless streak, which started with a 36-36 tie against Georgia Tech, followed by four straight losses. Still, Rice won three of its last four games to finish the 1972 season at 5-5-1 overall.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of September 27, 2025 Part 2

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

Editor's Note: All of the games listed below will be played on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

NCAA Division II

Minnesota State-Moorhead (3-1) at Minnesota-Duluth (4-0)

(The Bulldogs will look to stay undefeated when they battle the Dragons in a key NSIC clash!!!!!)

New Mexico Highlands (3-0) at Western Colorado (3-0)

(The Mountaineers clash with the surprising Cowboys in a critical Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest!!!!!)

California (Pa.)-(3-0) at Slippery Rock (3-0)

("The Rock" plays host to the Vulcans in a battle of unbeaten teams in the PSAC West Division!!!!!)

Assumption (2-1) at Franklin Pierce (2-1)

Ashland (2-1) at Northwood (3-0)

Anderson (S.C.)-(3-1) at Emory & Henry (3-1)

Fairmont State (2-1) at West Virginia State (2-1)

Ohio Dominican (2-0) at Walsh (3-0)

Carson-Newman (2-1) at Wingate (3-0)

UNC Pembroke (3-1) at Valdosta State (2-1)

Sioux Falls (3-1) at Minnesota State (3-1)

NCAA Division III

North Central (2-0) at Washington-St. Louis (2-0)

(The defending national champion hit the road to clash with the Bears in a battle of unbeaten CCIW squads!!!!!)

Kalamazoo (3-0) at Calvin (3-0)

(The Hornets hit the road to face the upstart Knights in an unlikely battle of unbeaten teams to open Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association action!!!!!)

Cal Lutheran (2-0) at Redlands (2-0)

(The Bulldogs play host to the Kingsmen in another showdown of undefeated squads in the SCIAC!!!!!)

Mount Union (2-0) at Baldwin Wallace (3-0)

Rochester (3-0) at RPI (2-1)

Coe (2-1) at Wartburg (3-0)

Alfred (2-1) at St. John Fisher (2-1)

Benedictine (Ill.)-(3-0) at Concordia (Wis.)-(2-1)

Trine (2-1) at Albion (2-1)

Wilkes (1-2) at Montclair State (1-1)

Juniata (2-1) at College of New Jersey (2-0)

NAIA

Indiana Wesleyan (3-1) at Marian (2-1)

(The Wildcats will hit the road to clash with the Knights in Mid-States Football Association action!!!!!)

Evangel (3-1) at Friends (4-0)

(The unbeaten Falcons from Kansas play host to the once-beaten Valor from Missouri in a key Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference clash!!!!!)

Dickinson State (2-1) at Montana Western (2-1)

(The Bulldogs battle the Hawks in a critical showdown of one-loss teams from the Frontier Conference!!!!!)

Dordt (2-0) at Northwestern (Iowa)-(2-1)

(The Red Raiders host the Defenders in a game that could eventually decide the Great Plains Athletic Conference!!!!!)

College of Idaho (3-0) at Montana Tech (4-0)

(Another showdown of undefeated teams looms large in the Frontier Conference, as the Orediggers host the 'Yotes!!!!!)

Peru State (3-1) at Benedictine (Kan.)-(3-1)

(The Ravens play host to the Bobcats in Heart of America Athletic Conference action!!!!!)

Avila (0-4) at Sterling (0-4)

Cumberland (Tenn.)-(3-1) at Florida Memorial (0-2)

Southern Oregon (1-2) at Dakota State (2-1)

Louisiana Christian (2-2) at Oklahoma Panhandle State (1-2)

Faulkner (2-1) at Union Commonwealth (1-1)

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