Cornell Notes

The Yale Bulldogs fell to the Cornell Big Red by a score of 38–25 in a disastrous Ivy League opener for Cahill.

Offensively, the Elis were doomed from the start with Reno sidelined by an injury and an ineffective rushing attack. Hewitt was forced into the first action of his career and threw two ugly interceptions, one of which was nearly returned for a touchdown. It was evident that Hewitt had not seen many live plays with the starters, as he seemed uncomfortable in the pocket, even under little duress at times, and gave up easy sacks. Whether it was fielding snaps, handing the ball off, or making the decision to scramble, everything just seemed disjointed and delayed. Eventually, Hewitt settled down and got into a rhythm with a few tremendous plays, such as the 4th-down touchdown pass and the 2-point conversion toss, but by that point in the contest it was too little, too late, as the defense failed to slow the Big Red’s assault. The rushing attack improved slightly from Week 1 but still lacked any sense of explosiveness that could lead to big plays. HDK ran for 56 yards on 14 carries (4.0 ypc), while Cuttler added 23 yards on 8 carries (2.9 ypc). Running the ball on 3^rd and long appeared to be a sign of defeat, as there was simply no hope of picking up the first down. The receivers and tight ends were not given as many opportunities to shine as last week, given the turmoil at quarterback, yet there were still strong performances from Santiago (58 yards and a touchdown), Smith (53 yards and a touchdown), Anderson (39 yards) and Jones (35 yards). The offensive line really needed to step up its game to give the Bulldogs a chance and ultimately failed to improve much from Week 1. Run blocking improved slightly from the Holy Cross game but needed to progress by leaps and bounds, given the reliance on inexperienced runners. Pass blocking was not terrible overall, despite the two sacks allowed, although Hewitt’s greenness required a perfectly clean pocket. The main gripe with the offensive line in this contest was simply the lack of physicality. Most of the offensive failures stem from a lack of preparation: the 2nd-string signal caller clearly did not see enough action in practice with the rest of the first team, play calling was not designed for Hewitt’s strengths, and the ground game remains feeble.

While the offense was hamstrung by the loss of its leader, the defensive blunders were even more disappointing. The Bulldogs held up well in the first quarter, allowing only a touchdown on a very short field after an interception, but the tables turned beginning in the 2^nd quarter. Schutzman missed an open-field tackle on a running back after a catch, Eastep was out of position on a long pass, Webster was called for pass interference, and Cornell was able to sneak its quarterback in for a score. Unfortunately, that sequence of events continued to unfold as the game progressed. The defensive line mustered just one sack on the afternoon against a below-average offensive line and allowed 126 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Bass-Sulpizio looked more comfortable in the pocket than he ever has in his career. Grant led the team with 11 tackles, yet still struggled at times, most notably on a long running back reception. The secondary did not receive any favors from the defensive line, but the level of play we witnessed is unacceptable for this experienced unit. Webster’s a liability for a pass interference call anytime the ball is thrown in his direction. Kamara was beaten on an outside route for a first down and was unusually quiet on the afternoon. Daniyan was cited for a costly penalty and did not play up to expectations. Eastep continues to miss coverages and tackles. The other cornerback position remains in disarray with Barkley-Smith, White and Banks all seeing time there in search of a solution. While the nation is focused on the Cornell Seven case, the Elis were assaulted by the Cornell Eleven on offense.

Piper’s 40-yard field goal in the 2^nd quarter was a highlight of the afternoon, and Keeney performed well, given the high wind gusts, with a 39.6-yard punting average. Santiago’s failure to catch a punt allowed Cornell to change field position by 75 yards.