A disastrous first quarter that led to a 21 point deficit for the Bulldogs was ultimately too much to overcome against a powerful Princeton team in a 59-43 loss at the Bowl. Yale dropped to 5-4 (3-3 Ivy) to set up a battle of 5-4 teams at Fenway for The Game.
On Princeton’s first play from scrimmage, running back Collin Eady raced 75 yards to put the Tigers up 7-0 just seconds into the contest. On Yale’s second offensive play, O’Connor threw the ball directly to a Princeton defender who returned it inside of the red zone. Eaddy made the score 14-0 as he knifed through Yale’s defense for a 17 yard score. O’Connor’s luck did not improve on Yale’s second drive as his pass was tipped in the backfield and intercepted by a Princeton linebacker. Princeton’s third string running back Ryan Quigly outran the Bulldogs on a 37 yard scoring play to put the Tigers up 21-0. Yale was able to put together a touchdown drive to begin the second quarter to make it 21-7, but defensive woes allowed Princeton to go into halftime with a 42-14 lead. Yale’s offense exploded in the second half, yet Princeton was able to add another 17 points to keep Yale at bay.
Freshman Griffin O’Connor threw for a record 465 yards with 3 touchdowns against a very stingy defense. His 4 interceptions, however, were crippling as the Yale defense could not slow down Princeton until well into the second half. The offensive line performed very well giving ample time for O’Connor to find open receivers and clearing the path for Lamar and Alston in the ground game. Lamar finished with over 100 yards rushing, while Alston averaged a respectable 4.8 yards per attempt. Klubnik was absolutely dominant with 8 catches for 234 yards. Shohfi had two long catches for 79 yards, Rouse had 4 catches for 62 yards, Howland had 3 catches for 53 yards and Lamar had 3 catches for 38 yards.
Princeton’s Bob Surace must have seen holes in Yale’s rush defense and decided to exploit the weaknesses as Princeton rushed for 489 yards. Second string running back Eaddy had 266 yards with 3 touchdowns, while third stringer Quigley added 113 yards with 2 touchdowns. If that wasn’t bad enough, Lovett tacked on another 110 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. The Yale defensive line was not getting enough penetration or pushing back offensive linemen. Linebackers and safeties were not filling the gaps or getting off of blocks. When we did have defenders in position to make a play, we missed way too many tackles. Pass defense was much improved and corners were finally turning their heads to play the passes. Horsted’s long touchdown reception was an embarrassment though as he effortlessly ran through Bulldogs on his way to a 52 yard touchdown.
Penalties were cleaned up as Yale was cited for just one penalty for 10 yards. Galland was perfect on extra points and was only forced to punt once in the contest. Reno did a great job keeping the players motivated in the second half to claw back within 16 points.
Beat Harvard!
15 replies on “Notes on the Loss to Princeton”
gentlemen; precise and accurate account of our blue struggles on defense. the question remains how to correct the inept tackling in one week.
Does anybody know what Coach Reno means when he keeps referring to the “special culture of Team 146”? As for the tackling, wouldn’t that be more of a recruiting problem? Wouldn’t Yale expect top prospects from top prep programs to know how to tackle? Maybe they don’t see that (or look for that) in the films.
“Wouldn’t Yale expect top prospects from top prep programs to know how to tackle? Maybe they don’t see that (or look for that) in the films.”
?
The Yale student section was nearly empty reflecting undergraduate disinterest in Yale football. One football player told us that his non- athlete classmates consider his admission to be tainted by his football playing status. Next year the Yale Bowl will boast a replay ” jumbotron” and synthetic turf. This may increase the utility of the Bowl; however Yale and Ivy League football is losing it’s alumni base.
Doubtful if Yale will be playing tackle football in 2030.
It is hard to picture Yale without a football program but one does have to question what future administrations will find as the justification for the heavy expenses in maintaining a sport that students and alumni have a dearth of interest in attending. While in recent years there has been a growing enthusiasm for Yale basketball the trend line for football continues to slope downward.
I wonder whether the founding fathers of the Ivy League with their proclaimed de-emphasis on football would have changed any of their preamble if they could have envisaged the Bowl dropping in attendance for a Yale Princeton game from 65000 in 1960 to less than 13,000 two days ago and with an empty looking student section.
Justify the expense?? $27 Billion in the endowment. At a 8% annual growth rate on 27B I think they have it covered!!! Lol
With all due respect regarding the 8% growth rate – How long do you think the precedent setting bull market will last? When the bear market arrives and/or the next recession hits (and eventually there will be another one) all departments will have to justify expenses and may be required to reduce them. Ask the students at Harvard who were deprived of hot breakfasts after the last bear market and recession and when their endowment under performed. I believe the only high profile money manager who presumed he could produce consistent 8% or better performance was Bernie Madoff.
admission tainted??? I find a student athlete more impressive then someone who does nothing but study. Hell if you removed all the student athletes, Asians (study, study then go back to your country and use that knowledge to better that country….how many Americans attend the Univ of Beijing?) what do you have left? A bunch of males who look/act like a females and vise-versa. So if that is the future of Yale football, we have bigger worries in this country.
Signed,
Archie Bunker
The game of football will evolve just like it has since the beginning. It does appear that the “new sport” of Yale students is propping oneself up by pointing out how undeserving others around you are of such a fine learning establishment. Student athletes are better prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders rather than a typical non-sports loving normie although there is a place in society for both. One will lead while the other follows.
We all know the answer, which is impossible and will never happen. (To the question about how to save Ivy League football). Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Penn should become independent and join FBS (each of their stadiums is large enough) and play each other along with the service academies and certain academically minded FBS programs ala Duke, BC, Wake Forest, Vandy etc. Call themselves “IV” or some such name and get a sponsor for a bowl game to be played such that it doesn’t interfere with finals. Each of those schools have had recent teams even with the academic limitations that could have competed at that level to some degree. (Yale’s team last year and Princeton’s this year would have beaten lower rung FBS teams ….Rice anyone?) Some students would be interested enough to bus out to the bowl to watch such a spectacle. The remaining alumni who care would be reinvigorated. The other four Ivy teams should be invited if they choose to build large enough stadiums (they wouldn’t). This process would take many years if not decades to pull off admittedly. Total pipe dream but without such a move within a decade Ivy football will have died a long slow death.
A HUGE change among the Big Three in interest in football is that their student bodies are now more than half female! That has changed the prevailing culture immensely (see Archie Bunker above).
During the recent Kavanaugh hearings, my son and two of his team mates were walking down the street minding their own business when an angry snowflake ran up to them and started to yell at them and then threw water at them. They just proceeded along and did not engage. That is who makes up the predominant student body. Attendance will continue to decline.
A angry snowflake.? No that’s not a racist comment.? What are you doing.? There are idiots all over the world. The trick is not to become one of them.
Go Bulldogs.!! Stupidity
Agree. Last game of the season. Beat Harvard !!!!!
Notes on the Loss to Princeton
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