Cornell Notes

The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 following a 41-24 win over the Big Red on Saturday at the Bowl. Yale and Harvard sit atop the Ivy League standings through Week 2.

The Yale offense never found its rhythm on Saturday, sputtering from the opening drive and struggling to establish consistency throughout the game. The Bulldogs managed just 297 total yards, picked up only 12 first downs, and were soundly beaten in the time of possession battle. Third-down woes proved costly, as Yale converted only 4 of 13 attempts and came up empty on two fourth-down tries. Quarterback Dante Reno delivered a mixed performance, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for a modest 139 yards. He misfired on several deep shots and tossed an ugly interception, though he came through with a clutch first-down strike to Shipp to help seal the win late in the fourth quarter. Pitsenberger was the workhorse, piling up 142 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His big day was marred by ball-security issues, as two of his three fumbles turned into costly turnovers. Shipp’s return from injury proved critical with the top receiver from Week 1, Nico Brown, sidelined. Shipp led the receiving corps with seven catches for 85 yards, highlighted by a spectacular sideline grab upheld after review. Santiago added a 20-yard touchdown reception, though the Bulldogs’ staff will need to scheme him more touches with defenses likely focusing on Shipp or Brown going forward. Smith continued to see targets, recording two catches for 15 yards, while Maltarich and Stephens combined for 2 catches for 11 yards through the air. Up front, the offensive line held firm in pass protection, allowing only one sack, but run blocking was inconsistent, with too many plays snuffed out at the line of scrimmage. Offensive playcalling also drew scrutiny, with few short to intermediate passing concepts that cater to Reno’s strengths. Given Yale’s favorable field position and the defense’s knack for creating turnovers, the contest should not have been as tight as it was entering the final two minutes.

Yale’s defense surrendered 400 yards of offense as the Big Red moved the ball with ease both on the ground and through the air. The Bulldogs were bailed out by critical Cornell miscues that turned into turnovers, masking what was otherwise a shaky performance. Missed tackles plagued the Elis from start to finish, with defenders failing to wrap up or getting beaten in the open field. Two breakdowns on simple screen plays left the unit looking unprepared for the trickery they’ll face from Dartmouth and Harvard later this season. The defensive front did manage to generate pressure with Tate, Jackson-Bass, and Johnson each recording a sack, though at least five other opportunities slipped away thanks to missed tackles in the pocket. Ayo-Durojaiye turned in a career day, racking up 17 tackles and earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors. Fellow linebacker Grant showed signs of improvement, but a costly personal foul and a whiff on the quarterback proved damaging. The secondary was a sore spot. Outside of Kamara, who delivered an All-American caliber performance with five tackles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, two pass breakups, and a blocked field goal, the back end struggled. Daniyan, Tarver, and Schmidt were all beaten from their safety positions, while the corners—despite the addition of Gonzales—were repeatedly caught out of position, allowing Cornell’s inexperienced quarterback to torch them for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

Freshman Noah Piper had a spectacular performance as he was 2 for 2 on field goal attempts with a long of 50 yards. Keeney had a solid day punting as he averaged 42.2 yards per punt and placed one punt inside the redzone. Tarver was a pleasant surprise at kick returner and had a long opening return of 63 yards, although Yale was fortunate that Cornell did not recover the fumble after Tarver was stripped. Kamara added to his impressive defensive performance with a blocked field goal that gave Yale momentum heading into halftime.