On November 13, 1875, Yale played its first football game against Wesleyan University in New Haven, Connecticut. The game was played under a modified version of rugby rules, which allowed players to run with the ball and make forward passes.

Yale won the game by a score of 8-0, with touchdowns scored by Morris Bower and Harry P. Ives. There were no field goals in the game at the time.

The game was played with 15 players on each side and lasted 40 minutes. It was considered a success and helped to establish Yale as a prominent football school in the years to come.