Author: Moderator

The Yale Bulldogs travel to Princeton, New Jersey this week for a showdown against the Princeton Tigers. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

Princeton enters the contest with a 3-5 overall record (2-3 Ivy) with wins over Lafayette, Columbia, and Brown. The Tigers dropped two close contests in consecutive weeks to Cornell and Dartmouth with Princeton falling by a score of 17-20 in both contests. This contest has all the markings of a trap game, but Princeton cannot be overlooked as the Tigers have a talented squad that will be playing with a high level of motivation to secure a morale-boosting win over their rival in what has been a disappointing season to date. Surace is not likely on the hot seat given his prior success, although the administration and alumni will only accept so many rivalry losses before a change is mandated.

Senior QB Kai Colon (6’2”, 210 lbs.) leads Princeton’s offense and has completed 59.8% of his passes this season for 1,534 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Senior QB Blaine Hipa (6’2”, 200 lbs.) has also played in all 8 contests and is a slightly better rusher than Colon, although his role has been diminished from a year ago when he started 9 contests. Junior RB Ethan Clarke (6’1”, 210 lbs.) is a hardnosed runner who is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has scored 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. Clark is also dangerous out of the backfield on passing plays with 15 receptions and 2 receiving touchdowns. Sophomore RB Kai Honda (5’10”, 200 lbs.) has been impressive with 4.7 yards per carry but did not play in the contest last week versus Dartmouth. Freshman WR Josh Robinson (5’7”, 165 lbs.) could become the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and leads Princeton in receptions and receiving yards with 34 catches for 388 yards. Junior WRs Roman Laurio (6’0”, 180 lbs.), Aidan Besselman (6’1”, 185 lbs.), and Jackson Green (6’2”, 195 lbs.) all see frequent targets and must be accounted for in the passing game. Junior TE Joey Wassler (6’5”, 240 lbs.) is a talented pass catcher but is primarily involved in run blocking. The offensive line averages 297.0 lbs. across the board and returns only one starter from 2024 in senior T Cooper Koers (6’6”, 290 lbs.). The Tigers have been decent in run blocking with 3.6 yards per carry yet have struggled in pass protection with 23 sacks allowed. The Bulldogs must slow down Clarke in the running game and force Princeton into uncomfortable 3^rd down scenarios as the Tigers have converted only 40.4% of 3^rd downs to date this season. In the passing game, the Elis cannot allow Robinson to get behind corners and safeties as he can generate big plays with his speed and quickness. Like last week, expect Princeton to target Clarke on screen plays. Surace will be throwing his whole playbook at Yale, so the probability of exotic trick plays is very high.

The Tigers have sharpened their defensive efforts in recent weeks holding Dartmouth to 20 points a week ago. Senior LB Marco Scarano (6’0”, 205 lbs.) was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy selection in 2024 and leads the Tigers in tackles with 66. Junior LB Chase Christopher (6’1”, 215 lbs.) earned an Honorable Mention All-Ivy nod in 2024 and has played very well with 62 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Senior DB Nasir Hill (6’0”, 200 lbs.) is the leader of the secondary and is a two-time 2^nd Team All-Ivy performer. Hill had 9 tackles versus Yale last season and is third on the team in tackles this season with 43. Junior DB Kyler Ronquillo (5’9”, 175 lbs.) has played well in his first season as a starter with 36 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Junior DBs Evan Haynie (5’11”, 180 lbs.) and Torian Roberts (5’10”, 180 lbs.) are both returning starters that have continued to show improvement. Freshman DL Nate Stohl (6’2”, 265 lbs.) has played as well as possible for a first year with 16 tackles. Junior DL Landon Robinson (6’0”, 290 lbs.) is a very stout, powerful defender that can disrupt the line of scrimmage. Sophomore OLB AJ Pigford (6’3”, 250 lbs.) and junior OLB Robert Sanders (6’2”, 245 lbs.) are difficult to block on the edges and have combined for 6.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Opponents have averaged 4.5 rushing yards per carry on the Tigers, so the Bulldogs must exploit the holes in the run defense with Pitsenberger and Daal. Princeton has historically blitzed heavily against Yale, so the offensive line must stay true to assignments in pass protection to keep Reno upright. Princeton has a knack for creating turnovers with 5 forced fumbles and 9 interceptions, so ball security issues and dangerous throws into heavy coverage must be avoided at all costs.

Junior K Esteban Nunez Perez (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is 6 of 8 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards on the season. Junior P Brady Clark (6’2”, 195 lbs.) is one of the top punters in the Ivy League and is averaging 45.7 yards per punt with 14 punts placed inside the redzone. Sophomore RB Kenny Jordan (5’11”, 170 lbs.) will stress our kickoff coverage unit as he averages 26.8 yards per kick return. Robinson handles punt return duties and is hard to contain in the open field.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Tigers!

The Yale Bulldogs defeated the Brown Bears in a 34-22 contest in Providence. Yale moves to 6-2 (4-1 Ivy) on the season with the tough rivalry matchups ahead.

The Yale offense came ready to play with a 62-yard touchdown run from Pitsenberger on the first offensive play of the game. Pitsenberger finished with an eye-popping 173 rushing yards (6.4 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns. Daal was very impressive in his own right with 67 rushing yards or 8.4 yards per carry. Reno completed 71.4% of his passes for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and did not throw an interception. Reno has really come a long way since the disastrous Lehigh and Dartmouth performances in improving his decision making and limiting turnovers, although a bad snap did lead to a fumble recovered by Brown. The offensive line paved the way for 5.9 yards per carry on the afternoon and only gave up one sack. Reno was able to avoid heavy pressure at times as the offensive line still struggles in picking up blitzes. Nico Brown dominated once again with 6 receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Santiago hauled in 7 catches for 42 yards but will need to work on extending his routes past the first down marker as the Bulldogs came up just inches short on two of his receptions. Wagner made one of the plays of the game when he hauled in a reception on a 3^rd down pass that was deflected. Smith added 2 catches for 15 yards and luckily did not appear to be slowed down after a potential injury in the contest.

Defensively, the Bulldogs completely shut down Brown’s running attack as they had 30 carries for just 19 net yards. Brown was successful in the passing game with 366 passing yards on the day or 8.5 yards per passing attempt. Webster and Tarver were consistently out of position, and several tackles were missed after receptions as defenders attempted to generate punishing hits without wrapping up ball carriers. Daniyan was out once again and at this point, we have to assume he has a season-ending injury. Grant was the star of the defense with 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Grant and Ayo-Durojaiye made a boneheaded decision to excessively celebrate after a sack that led to a penalty. The defensive line shined in the contest with several standout performances. Larry had 4 tackles, 2 sacks and applied pressure on the quarterback on Grant’s interception. Shaber notched 6 tackles and a sack, while Jackson-Bass had 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack. Xavier Coleman came up with a key tackle for loss and appears to be a future staple at defensive end. The focus heading into the Princeton contest must be to tighten up coverages, wrap up ball carriers, and avoid needless penalties.

Piper was 2 for 3 on field goal attempts with his only miss on a difficult 46-yard attempt. Keeney averaged 41.0 yards per punt and placed 2 of his 4 punts inside the redzone. Tarver made two great plays on special teams with a 38-yard kick return and was able to down a punt at the 1-yard line.

The Yale Bulldogs travel to Providence to take on the Brown Bears on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on both ESPN+ and NESN.

Brown enters the contest at 3-4 (0-4 Ivy) with wins over Georgetown, Rhode Island and Bryant. Rhode Island was ranked #8 in the FCS prior to the Brown matchup and the Bears emerged with a 28-21 victory. Interestingly enough, all three of Brown’s wins have occurred in the state of Rhode Island.

Brown’s offense is led by junior QB James Murphy (6’5”, 230 lbs.) who has completed 66.0% of his passes this season for 1,870 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Murphy has prototypical size for the position and is a classic pocket passer with a strong arm. Sophomore RB Matt Childs (6’0”, 200 lbs.) was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and possesses a combination of speed, power and balance. Childs averages 3.8 yards per carry and has scored 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. Brown will often target Childs in the passing game as Childs has an impressive 25 receptions on the year. Senior RB Qwentin Brown (6’0”, 220 lbs.) is utilized as a power rusher and has racked up 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. The Bears’  high-flying offense has traditionally been built around a solid core of receivers and this year is no exception. Senior WR Ty Pezza (6’4”, 225 lbs.) has the length and quickness to be a matchup problem for most defensive backs. Pezza has hauled in 32 receptions for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season. Senior WR Solomon Miller (5’11”, 185 lbs.) is a very fast wideout who has been a key contributor since his freshman season. Junior TE Levi Linowes (6’3”, 240 lbs.) is a rising pass catching threat who is averaging 15.0 yards per reception. Brown’s offensive line averages 285.0 lbs. across the board and is led by sophomore OL Beau Smith (6’5”, 285 lbs.) who was named a Freshman All-American by FCS Football Central in 2024. The Bears have been average in run blocking as they’ve paved the way for 3.0 yards per carry but have struggled to consistently pass block with 17 sacks surrendered on the season. Brown has a varied offensive assault that will stress Yale’s defense in both run support and pass support. The Bears have been very aggressive on the first few offensive drives in each contest as they seek to generate big plays and hurry to the line of scrimmage with a no-huddle strategy. In the ground game, Yale must control the line of scrimmage and wrap up Childs as he can routinely run through arm tackles. In the passing game, getting pressure on Murphy and keeping Pezza and Miller in front of our defensive backs will be crucial. Brown’s offensive staff is likely salivating at the thought of getting Childs loose on screen passes given Yale’s inability to stop a screen to date.

Senior LB John Perdue (6’0”, 230 lbs.) is the leader of Brown’s defense and has played well with 58 tackles, a sack and 2 interceptions. Perdue’s fellow senior LB Sam Smith (6’0”, 230 lbs.) is an Avon, CT product who has been a contributor since his freshman season. Junior DB Miles Brophy (6’1”, 205 lbs.) leads the defensive backfield in tackles with 50 on the season. Senior DB Nevaeh Gattis (6’1”, 210 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2024 who is tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2. Junior DL Ike Odimegwu (6’3”, 235 lbs.) has become a dangerous pass rusher in the Ivy League with 7 sacks on the season. Senior DL John Starman (6’3”, 285 lbs.) is a physical defensive tackle with the quickness to chase down quarterbacks. Sophomore DE Jack Middleton (6’3”, 245 lbs.) is a transfer from Washington University St. Louis where he was a 1^st Team All-CCIW selection as a freshman. Opponents have averaged 404.6 yards of total offense per game on the Bears with 4.2 yards per carry and 7.1 yards per passing attempt. Yale’s offense matches up well against Brown’s defense, but the Bulldogs will need to score early and often to keep pace against a high-octane offense. Pass protection will be crucial as Brown will likely seek to shut down Pitsenberger and force Reno to make plays with his arm. With opponents now keying on Santiago and Nico Brown in the passing game, there could be opportunities to get our tight ends more involved to keep the Bears off balance.

Freshman K Drew Crabtree (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is 2 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards on the season. Sophomore P Malcolm Flynn (6’0”, 190 lbs.) is averaging a respectable 39.3 yards per punt with a long punt of 54 yards.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!

Yale moved to 5-2 (3-1 Ivy) on the season with a 24-10 win over Columbia last week. The Bulldogs are now on a three game winning streak following the last second loss to Dartmouth and can secure the Ivy League Championship as well as an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs with three more victories.

Dante Reno was not as sharp as in prior weeks with a 64.0% completion rate and 179 passing yards on the day, but fans must be pleased with his progress in limiting turnovers and correcting mental mistakes. Reno’s two touchdown passes were perfectly placed balls and he continued to improve in the ground game with 4.0 yards per carry. Pitsenberger and Daal were the stars of the afternoon, combining for 244 rushing yards and a touchdown. Pitsenberger racked up 132 rushing yards on 25 attempts (5.3 YPC), while Daal ripped off an 81-yard touchdown scamper, the longest rushing touchdown since 2017. Santiago led the receiving corps with 5 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Brown was stellar once again with 7 catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, while Stephens, Anderson and Daal also made key contributions in the passing game. The offensive line did not allow a sack and paved the way for an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. Yale must improve on 3^rd and 4^th down efficiency as the Bulldogs successfully converted on just 33.3% of 3^rd downs and 50.0% of 4^th downs. Five drives were stalled resulting in punts or a turnover on downs and moving forward, 24 points simply won’t be enough to overcome the powerful offenses of Brown, Princeton and Harvard.

Despite Columbia’s top quarterback returning for the contest, the Bulldogs once again had an impressive defensive performance. Columbia’s rushing attack was stymied with just 2.2 yards per carry forcing the Lions into passing situations. Goodwin was held to a 50.0% completion percentage and was hounded in the pocket as Yale racked up 5 sacks on the day. Grant led the Elis in tackles with 8 in his best performance of the season and constantly applied pressure to Goodwin without a penalty. Larry was unblockable at times with 2 sacks on the afternoon. Shaber had a productive outing at defensive tackle with 4 tackles. Eastep and Schmidt made key plays, although it’s still very concerning that Daniyan hasn’t been seen in three weeks. Webster had 2 critical sacks as he led the defensive backs with 7 tackles but was beaten on 2-3 passing routes. Screens and quarterback rushes still haunt the Bulldogs and the lapses must be rectified immediately heading into the Brown contest.

Piper was 3 of 3 on PATs and nailed a 40-yard field goal in very windy conditions. Keeney averaged a decent 38.0 yards per punt and placed 2 of his 4 punts inside the redzone. Santiago was crushed on a punt return that he did not fair catch but luckily was able to secure the football.

The Yale Bulldogs host the Columbia Lions on Saturday at The Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

Columbia enters the contest with a 1-5 record (0-3 Ivy) in what has been a disappointing season for the defending champions. Last week, the Big Green routed the Lions in a 49-3 victory in Hanover that was essentially over by halftime. The Lions will be playing angrily after the embarrassing loss and Poppe would love to keep his undefeated streak against Reno intact. Despite the championship ring on his finger, Poppe still must prove that he can win with his own roster and not Bagnoli’s roster.

Sophomore QB Caleb Sanchez (6’4”, 220 lbs.) has led Columbia’s offense over the last few weeks after an injury to junior QB Chase Goodwin (6’2”, 215 lbs.) in the Princeton contest. Sanchez has struggled with accuracy, completing just 50.7% of his passes for 411 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Freshman RB Michael Walters (6’2”, 225 lbs.) has been a bright spot for the Lions as the Connecticut product has racked up 4.4 yards per carry on the season. Junior RB Griffin Johnson (5’11”, 200 lbs.) has also performed well in the rushing attack with 4.0 yards per carry and a touchdown. The receiving corps is led by junior WR Titus Evans (6’2”, 200 lbs.) who averages an impressive 14.5 yards per reception. Sophomore WR Hutch Crow (6’1”, 195 lbs.) leads the Lions in receiving touchdowns with 3 on the season. Junior TE Braden Dougherty (6’5”, 250 lbs.) is a solid run blocker and pass catcher who earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy status in 2024. The offensive line averages 302.0 lbs. across the board and features two returning starters from 2024. Senior OL Noah Jordan (6’5”, 315 lbs.) is the leader of the unit and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy offensive lineman in 2024. Columbia’s offensive line has not lived up to expectations as they have paved the way for just 3.1 yards per carry and have allowed 13 sacks on the season. The key for the Bulldogs this week is to force the Lions into 3^rd down scenarios as Columbia has converted on just 30.9% of 3^rd down attempts this season. As Dartmouth showed last week, winning battles at the line of scrimmage and flustering Sanchez can completely derail Columbia’s offensive strategy.

Columbia’s defense is a notch below what we saw from them in 2024 which is great news for the Elis as Yale’s offense was completely inept in last season’s contest. Senior LB Jack Smiechowski (6’1”, 205 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2024 and leads the Lions with 52 tackles, a sack and 3 interceptions. Junior LB Charlie Newton (6’3”, 235 lbs.) has seen action since his freshman season and has played well with 38 tackles and an interception. Sophomore DB Caleb Solomon (6’1”, 200 lbs.) has excelled in his first season as a starter with 48 tackles and an interception. Sophomore DB Carter McCray (6’0”, 185 lbs.) was an Honorable Mention All-Ivy defensive back as a freshman and has built on that momentum this season with 26 tackles. Senior DL Joshua Powell (6’3”, 250 lbs.) has proven difficult to block with 23 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Senior DL Justin Townsend (6’2”, 265 lbs.) has been a pass rushing nightmare since his sophomore season and has racked up 4 sacks on the season so far. Sophomore DL Keller Patterson (6’1”, 285 lbs.) is a talented young defensive tackle coming off a 4 tackle performance at Dartmouth last week. Opponents have averaged 4.2 yards per carry, so unleashing Pitsenberger and Daal in the ground attack will be crucial. Our offensive line will need to focus on getting hands on linebackers both in the ground game and in pass protection on blitzes. Columbia might have the best pass rushers the Bulldogs have faced to date, so protecting Reno and making sure he is not absorbing hard hits is critical.

Junior K Hugo Merry (6’3”, 195 lbs.) has not missed a field goal all season but has not attempted a field goal beyond 30 yards. Sophomore P Tommy Sleeman (6’2”, 220 lbs.) is averaging 42.5 yards per punt and has placed 6 punts inside the redzone. Senior WR Cobe Crews (6’3”, 200 lbs.) is a shifty kick returner who can go the distance with a season long return of 41 yards.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Lions!

The Yale Bulldogs moved to 4-2 (2-1 Ivy) on the season with an impressive 35-13 victory over the Penn Quakers on Saturday.

Dante Reno excelled for the second straight week completing 72.7% of his passes for 211 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Reno’s continued improvement in the ground game was also evident by his 6.7 yards per carry on 3 scrambles. He seemed much more confident and in control of the offense than we have seen all season. Pitsenberger was dominant in the rushing attack with 145 rushing yards and a touchdown. Daal rushed for 6.2 yards per carry on 6 carries in another impressive showing. Brown appears to be on pace for a 1^st Team All-Ivy season as he added 8 catches for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns to his impressive yearly statistics. Santiago made fantastic plays for 59 receiving yards and a touchdown, while freshman Lucius Anderson showed that he can be a threat with a 22-yard reception. The offensive line paved the way for 6.1 yards per carry and did not allow a sack. There is certainly still room for improvement along the offensive front as the line had issues picking up blitzing linebackers early on and was cited for correctable penalties including a personal foul on Lewis for fighting after Brown’s fumble and false starts on Bluhm at center. Continuing to build upon the offensive framework established over the last two weeks will position the Bulldogs for sustained success down the stretch in the next four difficult contests.

Yale was stingy on defense allowing just 2.8 yards per carry in the ground game and forced Penn into difficult passing situations. O’Brien seemed rattled in the pocket and completed just 53.8% of his passes on the afternoon. Ayo-Durojaiye was all over the field once again with 13 tackles and a pass breakup. Eastep and Schmidt filled in for the injured Daniyan at safety and they both performed admirably with 10 tackles and 7 tackles respectively. Grant had a solid outing with 8 tackles and a sack. There were a number of strong performers along the defensive front. Shaber racked up 6 tackles, while Jackson-Bass had five tackles and a forced fumble that was returned by Kamara for a touchdown. Tate seems to improve every week at defensive tackle and had 3 tackles and a sack. Webster, Gonzales, and White had their hands full against Penn’s Richardson and Owens but held them in check for most of the contest with just one receiving touchdown surrendered. The defense was bailed out on two occasions with long Penn plays called back for penalties, but overall, fans must be pleased with how the defense has been performing over the last three weeks.

The performance of the special teams units was an area of weakness in the contest. Piper missed his only field goal attempt of 43 yards. Eastep was stripped on a kick return after a nice 30-yard return as having a returner with a shoulder brace on is just asking for ball security issues. Kick coverage must also improve as Penn had a 34-yard kick return that was a tackler away from going the distance.