The Game Notes

Would have been great to win with Morgan Roberts and Tyler Varga, but the past is in the past. Was absolutely thrilled to see us win this year.

Everything that could have gone well for us did; and Harvard performed as bad as it could have for a such a well-coached, well-disciplined team. And yet still, I felt like like things could flip any second until that clock ran to zero.

The O-line allowed only one sack the entire game (I thought it had allowed none until I saw the stat sheet), which is amazing considering the quality of Harvard’s defensive front. All our trick plays amazingly worked this time (the fake field goal and onside kickoff), although if either failed we’d probably be cursing out the coaching staff like Tom William’s decision to go for it on 4th and 22. Many penalties went our way, and helped moved the chains in critical moments.

The defense played fantastic. I thought we got decent, if not spectacular pressure on Viviano, but it just seemed like his passes were off the mark (especially in the first half), while his usual targets were very well covered. Harvard’s running backs, while performing well as usual, did not largely break out into huge runs and were for the most part contained.

Most importantly, no turnovers from Yale. I’ve seen several Harvard-Yale games where critical Yale turnovers have come to end promising scoring drives or outright break us when trying to play catch-up.

Not quite sold yet if our QB Rawlings is the future. There was once a time when no Freshman would play a single down, and be given a chance to develop over the years. Rawlings ran well for yardages and threw decently when it counted, but never really proved to be a true passing threat. Having watched Morgan Roberts, Patrick Witt sling the ball around over the years, I truly miss plays like that. Perhaps this was due to our many wide receiver injuries, as none of our other QBs have done decently either. The O-line looked like a turnstile at times during the season.

Looking forward: I do not know how much of those rumors about the coaching staff are hearsay. Ivy League football operates in a “black box” that would be maddening for fans of larger programs. Some have stepped up to condemn the head coach, while others have stepped up in his defense. I do not know how so many injuries have wrecked our team, but there seems to be very shallow depth beyond our starters. We need to recruit, develop, and prepare our players better. I still remember that time we were running Tyler Varga out of the wildcat formation; seriously, could not a single player could step up to manage the game as a QB? (and where do all our QB recruits disappear? It seems we should have over a dozen from over the years).

Despite our solid outing at Cambridge, the defense (especially secondary) has been a disaster for years, even when we had winning seasons. We just outscored our opponents then. Perhaps some coaching changes are needed; more modern football processes/schemes need to be introduced (how many of our coaches have seen how a powerhouse P5 program is run?); and training processes changed. Perhaps we need to take a closer look at the recruits we are bringing into New Haven, and whether they have the skillsets we actually need.

I have known Yale football players, and do not believe many are simply “quitting” on the team. I’ve always admired their dedication in playing for a sport with no hope of winning any sort of National Title with virtually non-existent chances of going pro. Some I personally studied with were brilliant scholars, who will go on to do great things in life.

All-in-all, a disappointing season capped off by an unexpected win at Cambridge. I look forward to next season; the flower of Ivy League football short lived while larger programs are currently fighting for dominance, bowl games, and conference championships.