Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs held on for a 23-17 win over the Big Red on Saturday in front of 4,916 loyal fans in attendance at the Bowl.  Yale improves to 1-1 on the season and will travel to face 0-4 Lehigh this Saturday.

The Yale offense made strides from Week 1 to Week 2, but there remains much work to do before we face stronger Ivy League competition.  The Bulldogs won the time of possession battle (32:30 to 26:56) and bested Cornell in total offensive yards (409 yards to 336 yards).  The Bulldogs continued to struggle however on third and fourth down conversions with just 2 of 11 successful third down conversions and 1 of 2 successful fourth down conversions.  O’Connor had a much better performance this past week completing 23 of 38 attempts for 317 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.  Communication along the offensive line was improved this week allowing just one sack versus a very aggressive Cornell defense, yet Cornell was able to limit the rushing attack allowing just 2.9 yards per carry on 30 rushing attempts.  Holding penalties along the offensive line will need to be cleaned up this week as they were crippling to some drives and erased a fantastic run by Dudek in which he broke multiple tackles for a first down.  Carrington led all Yale receivers in yardage with 3 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.  Rouse led the Elis in receptions with 5 receptions for 61 yards including a 44-yarder.  Sandifer, Nenad and Aaron all had clutch plays from their wideout positions, while Hawes and Howland continued to excel at tight end.  We haven’t seen the production from Tipton that we expected coming out of pre-season as the timing between him and O’Connor has just seemed off the last two weeks.  The Lehigh contest should serve as an opportunity to get Tipton and O’Connor on the same page.

The Bulldogs played very stingy defense in the first half, yet mistakes caught up with them in the second half allowing Cornell to come back within one score of victory.  Cornell was limited to 4 of 16 on third down attempts but was more efficient on fourth downs and in the red zone going 2 for 3 and 3 for 5 respectively.  Cornell’s two quarterbacks combined for a mere 48% completion percentage on 52 attempts with 3 interceptions.  The Big Red’s receivers did not help with their offensive efficiency dropping two possible touchdown passes.  Wande Owens had a career day racking up 7 tackles, half a tackle for loss and an interception.  Rodney Thomas constantly came up with big plays including two interceptions and a pass breakup.  We were fortunate that Thomas’ late targeting penalty was reversed as that would have left the Bulldogs’ secondary vulnerable in the first half versus Lehigh.  Sophomore Clay Patterson started at defensive tackle and proved that he could be Yale’s best pass rusher registering 2 sacks.  Outside of a 28-yard rush by Cornell, the Yale run defense was more consistent than in the Holy Cross contest. The secondary played aggressively limiting the short and medium routes that Cornell favors but deep routes remain a concern has Cornell often had receivers 1-2 yards ahead of our corners and safeties.

Bosman struggled in his kicking duties going 2 for 3 on PAT’s and 1 for 2 on field goal attempts missing a 20-yard chip shot from the right hash.  He was solid in his punting duties averaging 40.2 yards per punt and pinned the Big Red twice inside their 20-yard line.  The kickoff return team deserves praise this week as Thomas ran back one onside kick for a touchdown and the Bulldogs were able to recover Cornell’s second onside attempt to effectively seal the game.        

The 0-1 Cornell Big Red will travel to New Haven this Saturday to take on the Bulldogs at the Bowl.  Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will be televised on ESPN+.

Cornell dropped its season opener to 22^nd ranked VMI 31-21 last weekend in Ithaca.  Senior quarterback Richie Kenney completed 18 of 47 passing attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns.  VMI was able to contain the Big Red’s rushing attack limiting starting senior running back, SK Howard, to just 35 yards on 11 carries.  Senior wide receiver Thomas Glover accounted for most of the reception yards hauling in 7 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.  Cornell actually outgained VMI in total offensive yards but lost the time of possession battle and allowed VMI to convert on three 4^th down attempts.  The Bulldogs will face another veteran squad this week as the Big Red feature 19 senior starters many of which are fifth year seniors.

Although Cornell quarterback Richie Kenney struggled with his accuracy and decision making in the opening contest, he was dangerous when on target averaging 15.2 yards per completion.  He showed great poise in the pocket as he was willing to set his feet and deliver a strike before taking big hits from pass rushers.  Kenney poses a much larger passing threat than we saw last week from Holy Cross’ Sluka.  Cornell threw the ball on over 63% of offensive downs and utilizes a more varied offensive scheme than we’ve seen from them in the past with additional spread formations, run-play-option schemes, screens and traditional power-running formations.

Senior running back SK Howard is a balanced, versatile back that averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2019.  Howard splits carries with fellow seniors Devon Brewer and Delonte Harrell.  Based on the Yale-Holy Cross footage, Cornell may elect to test the Bulldogs’ run defense early on to control the clock.  Our defensive line must take control of the line of scrimmage this week to limit the rushing attack and force Kenney into 3^rd and long throws.    

The wide receivers, in particular senior Thomas Glover, were able to consistently create separation from VMI defenders.  Glover is an extremely athletic wideout and crisp route runner that will have to be schemed against this week.   Senior wide receivers Alex Kuzy and Curtis Raymond III are large targets at 6’2”, 204 lbs. and 6’4”, 208 lbs. respectively that combined for 5 catches and 73 yards.  Cornell also looks to junior Javonni Cunningham on short passing plays to try to utilize his play-making abilities.  Senior tight end Ryan Fitton (6’5”, 245 lbs.) is a solid blocker and pass catcher that hauled in a 40-yard reception in the first contest. 

Cornell always seems to have a large offensive line and this year is no exception.  Senior Hunter Nourzad (6’4”, 298 lbs.) is the most talented of the bunch and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy League selection in 2019.  Seniors Jack Burns (6’3”, 295 lbs.) and Robert Fatovic (6’3”, 292 lbs.) are both returning starters from 2019 at center and guard respectively.  The offensive line was not able to consistently establish the run game versus VMI but excelled in pass protection by not allowing a single sack on 47 passing plays.  The Bulldogs will have to get more creative this week in dialing up line stunts and blitzes to keep the Big Red off balance. 

Cornell’s defensive coordinator Jared Backus favors a very aggressive defensive scheme with multiple blitz packages.  The Big Red’s secondary is stacked with experience and depth.  Senior safety Logan Thut (6’3”, 214 lbs.) led the defensive effort against VMI with a team-high 7 tackles.  Junior safety Jalyx Hunt (6’3”, 236 lbs.) is an NFL-sized safety that recorded 6 tackles last week.  Senior safety Isiah Hogan racked up 6 tackles while fellow senior safety Eric Diggs had 4 tackles and an interception off of a tipped pass.  Senior cornerback Kenan Clarke had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack against VMI that came on a corner blitz.  

The linebackers are the heart and soul of the Cornell defense.  Junior linebacker Jake Stebbins notched 6 tackles versus VMI and was a 2019 finalist for FCS Freshman of the Year.  Senior linebacker Lance Blass has been a starter since 2018 and racked up 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack last week.   Sophomore Noah Taylor played well in his first career start with 5 tackles, half a tackle for loss and half a sack.  The communication along our offensive front will have to be stellar this week to account for the blitzing linebackers, safeties and corners. Screens, quick-hitting passing plays and tight end targets should be utilized to make Cornell pay for its aggressiveness. 

Senior defensive lineman Jack Muench (6’3”, 263 lbs.) is the leader of the defensive line and had 3 tackles and a sack versus VMI.  Senior Max Lundeen (6’4”, 257 lbs.) and Sophomore Connor Morgan (6’3”, 270 lbs.) are both first-time starters that are stout at the point of attack.  The interior of our offensive line must improve significantly this week to allow Dudek and O’Connor to establish a rhythm.

Senior kicker Scott Lees was 3 for 3 on PAT’s and missed his only field goal attempt, a 39-yard try in the fourth quarter.  Senior punter Koby Kiefer averaged 37.5 yards per punt in the season opener.  Cornell’s punt coverage was excellent allowing just 3.0 yards per punt return, however VMI exposed Cornell’s kickoff coverage returning a kick for 61 yards.  It’s imperative for Yale to play excellent on special teams this week to win the field position battle.

Go Bulldogs!

It was wonderful to finally be back at the Bowl on Saturday after over 600 days without Bulldog football in our lives.  The crowd was thin even for an opening contest against an out-of-conference opponent with the official attendance listed at just 3,987 people. 

Ultimately, the play of the offensive line and quarterbacks was simply not enough to overcome an experienced and talented opponent in Holy Cross.  The last thing that we wanted to do was to leave the game in the hands of Holy Cross’ kicker and that’s exactly how the fourth quarter unfolded.  With a stagnant offense in the second half, the defense had to play perfectly to pull out a win and Holy Cross was able to find holes in the Bulldogs’ defense to keep the clock moving and sway the momentum that Yale once had in the first half.

Offensively, the Bulldogs came out flat to start the first quarter and seemed understandably rusty from not playing football last season.  Wide receivers were not creating enough separation, the offensive line was not establishing a dominant run-game and O’Connor’s initial throws were not on target.  O’Connor would settle down in the second quarter finding tight end Jackson Hawes on a 19-yard touchdown reception and tight end JJ Howland on a 74-yard touchdown scamper.  Nolan Grooms showed off his mobility in the third quarter leading a Yale drive that would result in a field goal.  The Holy Cross front seven would eventually wear down the Bulldog’s offensive line leading to stalled drives and missed opportunities.  The offensive line did not play with the level of physicality needed to control the line of scrimmage on running plays and communication was poor on passing downs with blitzers roaming free in the backfield.  Down 17-14 with under a minute left, O’Connor forced an errant pass into coverage resulting in an easy game-sealing interception for Holy Cross.  O’Connor would finish the contest at 15 of 29 passing attempts for 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.  Grooms was 3 for 3 through the air with 25 yards rushing.  Dudek had a rather pedestrian day for his standards with 69 yards rushing on 15 attempts.  JJ Howland led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 103 yards on 3 receptions.  The offense will need to regroup this week in practice to correct the mental errors and develop the blueprints for sustainable drives that will win the time of possession battle.

The defense for the most part played up to expectations and seemed to be more game-ready than the offense.  Holy Cross was limited on third down conversions to just 2 of 11 attempts, however the Crusaders were still able to average 5.8 yards per play including 4.8 yards per rush.  Holy Cross’ advantage of having three games under their belt certainly helped their efficiency in the second half when it appeared that the Yale defense began to tire.  The Crusaders’ veteran offensive line was able to clear wide running paths for their mobile quarterback and trio of talented running backs.  Sluka finished with 85 yards net rushing and 2 touchdowns.  Aside from a 63-yard passing play from Holy Cross, the secondary was a bright spot in this contest with corners typically blanketing receivers and the safeties displaying much improved angle tackling to limit big plays.  Captain John Dean had the best outing for a Bulldog defender with 11 tackles and crucial stops on 3^rd and 4^th downs. The defensive line must do a better job at creating penetration this week to allow the linebackers to plug the inside gaps.  The secondary needs to keep up the physical level of play while limiting mental errors.

Bosman was 1 of 2 on field goal attempts missing a 52-yarder in the third quarter and making a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the contest.  Bosman also averaged 40.8 yards per punt with a long of 52 yards.  Rouse struggled in his punt return duties with mental mistakes that we expect him to clean up this week with the coaching staff.  Tre Peterson had an average outing as kick returner with 3 returns for 64 yards.

The time has finally arrived for football season in New Haven as the Holy Cross Crusaders travel to the Yale Bowl on Saturday to take on the Elis.  Kickoff is slated for noon and television coverage will be provided by ESPN+.

Holy Cross has won back-to-back Patriot League championships and enters the contest with a record of 1-1.  In the Crusaders’ first game, they upset UCONN 38-28 which led to UCONN’s Randy Edsall resigning as head coach.  The thrill of their week one upset was quickly overshadowed by a 21-35 loss to Merrimack.

The Holy Cross offense is led by sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka.  Sluka is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback that has continued to make strides in his performance after being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season.  Through two games, Sluka has thrown for 260 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on 36 pass attempts (55.6% completion percentage).  On the ground, he has racked up 152 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for a whopping average of 6.3 yards per carry.  Sophomore quarterback Marco Siderman has also seen action in both contests throwing for 105 yards and a touchdown on only 7 passing attempts.  Our secondary will face a critical first test in limiting Sluka’s passing efficiency and tackling him in the open field. 

Junior running back Tyler Purdy is currently second on the team in rushing yards behind Sluka.  Purdy has rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 17 rushes for an average of 5.5 yards per carry.  Purdy was named 2^nd Team All-Patriot League in 2020 and splits carries with senior Peter Oliver who was also named 2^nd Team All-Patriot League in 2020.  Oliver is a big back at 222 lbs. that we will have to disrupt at the line of scrimmage before he gets a head of steam.  This is a run-first offense that has rushed the ball on over 63% of offensive plays although that figure may be misleading as Sluka is likely to run the ball when he feels the pocket is collapsing on designated passing plays.

We expect Holy Cross to expand their passing game in this contest given that they have been studying the Harvard-Yale film from 2019.  The Crusaders have a deep selection of talented and experienced wideouts to target.  Senior wide receiver Tenio Ayeni currently leads the team in receiving yards with 89 yards on 5 catches.  Ayeni did not appear in any games in 2020, but started twelve contests in 2019 and was named to Phil Steele’s 2^nd Team All-Patriot League team that season.  Senior Spencer Gilliam has started in contests since his freshman season and hauled in a 47-yard reception versus Yale in 2019.  Junior Ayir Asante could be the most talented of the bunch and is a two-time 2^nd Team All-Patriot League selection as well as an honorable mention Freshman All-American.  Rounding out the wide receiving corps is sophomore Jalen Coker who presents a physical challenge for our secondary at 6’3” and 207 lbs.

Holy Cross’ offensive line has the size and experience to control the line of scrimmage against most opponents.  Senior center and captain Nick Olsofka (6’4”, 289 lbs.) leads the offensive line and garnered 2^nd Team All-Patriot League honors in 2020.  The Crusaders were able to take advantage of UCONN’s injury-depleted front seven in their opening win before taking a step back last week versus Merrimack.  Holy Cross was simply unable to convert on third downs (1 of 7) and consequently only possessed the ball for roughly twenty minutes in large part due to the play of the offensive line.

The Crusaders’ defense can be described as physical and opportunistic.  The linebackers are the strength of the Holy Cross defense.  Junior Jacob Dobbs leads the team with 29 tackles and was a 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection a year ago.  Senior Liam Anderson has been all over the field with 16 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.  The Bulldogs will need to do a great job of getting offensive linemen to the second level to create running lanes for Dudek and company. 

The Holy Cross secondary is just as deep as the linebacking corps with all four starters having extensive playing experience.  Senior safety Grant Holloman has tallied 18 tackles and a forced fumble, while fellow senior safety Walter Reynolds has racked up 14 tackles and an interception.  Senior cornerback John Smith has two interceptions on the season and looks to once again be named to the 1^st Team All-Patriot League team.  Junior cornerback Devin Haskins started in all of the games in 2020 and has 7 tackles on the season.

Senior defensive end Benton Whitley is a two-time 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection that is off to a solid start to the season with 9 tackles.  Senior Dan Kuznetsov is yet another 2^nd Team All-Patriot League selection from his defensive end position.  Senior defensive tackles Jason Modak and Noah Johnson provide a physical presence on the interior of the defensive front and Modak hauled in an interception against UCONN that he returned for 29 yards.  Questions this off-season have swirled around how the new interior of our offensive line will perform and this matchup against an experienced defensive line will serve as the litmus test.

As Coach Reno mentioned in his newsletter, Holy Cross’ specialists are among the best in the Northeast.  Senior kicker Derek Ng has been perfect on field goals and PAT’s to start the season.  Junior punter Patrick Haughney is averaging 39.3 yards per punt with a long of 48 yards against Merrimack.

We look forward to reconnecting with all of you at the Bowl on Saturday.  Let’s go Bulldogs!

If the coaching staff is able to rebuild the interior of our offensive line, there should be no issues establishing the run game in 2021 with the stable of talented backs that are returning.  Although Alan Lamar departed Yale for the chance to play FBS football, Zane Dudek is back to cap off a fantastic career.  Dudek averaged 5.6 yards per carry in 2019 while also hauling in 25 catches for 184 yards.  Dudek has a very patient running style and as we’ve noted in the past, the offense really excels when there is another power running back thrown into the mix.  Opposing defenses have to slow-play Dudek given his superior vision and cutback ability which presents a problem when a change-of-pace back enters the contest.  Spencer Alston will likely be this second back as he’s shown tremendous power and balance over the two seasons that we’ve seen him compete.  Alston averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 4.5 yards per carry in 2018 and 2019 respectively.  Elliott McElwain could be in the mix as another option as a power runner and then we have a group of untested, but highly touted underclassmen that could see playing time.  Josh Eboboko, Joshua McKenzie and Jacob Saffold were all three-star prospects out of high school while Nathan Denney was a two-star prospect.

RB Roster:

Tre Peterson, Sophomore, 5’9”, 170 lbs.

Josh Eboboko, Sophomore, 5’11”, 195 lbs.

Nathan Denney, Freshman, 5’10”, 205 lbs.

Elliott McElwain, Senior, 6’0”, 205 lbs.

Spencer Alston, Junior, 5’10”, 200 lbs.

Jacob Saffold, Sophomore, 5’10”, 190 lbs.

Joshua McKenzie, Junior, 5’10”, 200 lbs.

Zane Dudek, Senior, 5’9”, 200 lbs.

Jason Lee, Sophomore, 6’0”, 200 lbs.

Yale’s first opponent, Holy Cross, defeated UCONN over the weekend 38-28 prompting UCONN’s Head Coach, Randy Edsall, to step down from his position immediately.  At this point, it seems destined that UCONN will either drop down to the FCS ranks or eliminate the football program altogether at the conclusion of the season given the lack of recent success and annual monetary losses in the millions.  The Holy Cross game is starting to look much more difficult on paper, while playing UCONN after Dartmouth will still be a tough matchup especially if UCONN’s interim coach is able to correct errors and boost morale over the coming weeks.

In NFL news, former Bulldog Dieter Eiselen was cut from the Bears 53-man active roster, but was signed to the practice squad for the second year in a row.  Jaeden Graham remains on the Falcons roster, however he is currently on injured reserve after injuring his knee in training camp.  Graham’s teammate, Foye Oluokun, will lead the Falcons defense in 2021 as he transitions from outside linebacker to middle linebacker.  Oluokun is viewed around the league as a rising star that was the lone bright spot of an otherwise underperforming defense in 2020.

Full Schedule:

Holy Cross @ Yale – September 18^th, 12:00 PM

Cornell @ Yale- September 25^th, 12:00 PM

Yale @ Lehigh- October 2^nd, 12:00 PM

Yale @ Dartmouth- October 9^th, 1:30 PM

Yale @ UCONN- October 16^th, 12:00 PM

Penn @ Yale- October 23^rd, 12:00 PM

Columbia @ Yale- October 30^th, 12:00 PM

Yale @ Brown- November 6^th, 12:30 PM

Yale @ Princeton- November 13^th, 1:00 PM

Harvard @ Yale- November 20^th, 12:00 PM

It’s always fantastic to see six games in Connecticut on the schedule, albeit one will be at UCONN in East Hartford.  Given the strength of the out of conference opponents as well as the uncertainty of the competitiveness of our Ivy League foes, there really isn’t a game that can be highlighted as a “gimme game” this season.  The first three contests should provide us with great opportunities to improve before a brutal two week stretch at Dartmouth and at UCONN.  Penn and Columbia are certainly no slouches these days, however the tail end of the schedule at Brown, at Princeton and home versus Harvard will define the success of this Bulldog squad.  Brown’s QB Perry is poised to have a stellar year backed by an improved roster, Princeton has been voted as the favorite in preseason polls, and Harvard is once again stacked with talent and out to avenge their loss from 2019. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Bowl in just over three weeks!  Go Bulldogs!   

Similar to the story at the wide receiver position, we lost a Yale legend in Kurt Rawlings, but have enough firepower returning at the quarterback position to make opposing secondaries pay the price if they decide to stack the box against Dudek.  Griffin O’Connor enters preseason as the clear favorite to lead the offense.  After Rawlings was injured in 2018, O’Connor set the league on fire with 1,229 yards passing and 8 touchdowns en route to becoming the 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year.  He was thrown into tough situations in 2019 when Rawlings went down with minor injuries and was never able to get into the same rhythm as we had seen from him in games such as the Princeton contest in 2018.  O’Connor is more of a traditional pocket-passer than Rawlings possessing more pure throwing power, yet needs to work on his accuracy, decision making and pocket presence to make the leap into becoming an All-Ivy caliber player.  If O’Connor is indeed named the starter, much of his success will rely on the offensive line giving him a clean pocket.  If Reno opts for a dual-threat quarterback to start, Nolan Grooms would be the natural selection.  Grooms had an efficient 2019 campaign completing all 5 of his passes for 44 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 6 rushes.  Jimmy Check saw substantial action in 2018 before the emergence of O’Connor and could challenge for the starting role if he’s made significant strides in his mechanics and fundamentals over the last two years.  Reno is never afraid to throw Freshmen into the mix and Austin Tutas or Devin Suggs could see action in 2021.  Tutas was a 3 star recruit out of high school, while Suggs has the prototypical development frame at 6’4”.

Projected Starter:

Griffin O’Connor

Challengers:

Nolan Grooms, Austin Tutas and Jimmy Check

QB Roster:

Austin Tutas-Freshman

Grant Jordan-Freshman

Devin Suggs-Freshman

Nolan Grooms-Sophomore

Griffin O’Connor-Junior

Jimmy Check-Senior