Author: Moderator

The Bulldogs travel to Hanover this weekend for a showdown against the 3-0 Dartmouth Big Green.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 and the game will air on ESPN+.

The Big Green manhandled the Quakers 31-7 in front of a national audience last week.  Dartmouth has outscored their opponents by a total of 72 points through their first three games and has averaged 384 yards of total offense per game.  The Big Green’s defense has only allowed two touchdowns to date and an average of 217 yards per game of total offense for their opponents.  The 2019 Yale-Dartmouth contest brings up painful memories of the 42-10 defeat and although Gerbino and several star defenders have graduated, this Dartmouth team is loaded with talent.

Teevens’ offensive philosophy remains largely unchanged from 2019.  The Big Green like to keep defenses off balance with a combination of a more traditional pocket passer and a big running quarterback.  Senior quarterback Derek Kyler returns as the main passer completing over 74% of his passes (40 of 54) for 443 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Junior quarterback Nick Howard (6’2”, 230 lbs.) leads Dartmouth in rushing with 310 yards on 38 attempts for 8.2 yards per carry.  Howard will occasionally throw the ball as he has completed 5 passes this season.  Senior running back Zack Bair appears to be fully recovered from a devastating injury as he is averaging 7.5 yards per carry.  When Howard and Bair are lined up in the backfield, defenses tend to key on Howard which gives the advantage to Dartmouth if they decide to hand the ball to Bair.  Our defensive ends and linebackers will have to stay true to their assignments this week to limit the Dartmouth rushing attack.  The offensive line communicates very well and rarely misses blocking assignments.  They are stronger in run blocking than pass blocking but Dartmouth prefers to utilize quick throws from Kyler that negate the pass rush.  Sophomore wide receiver Paxton Scott is Kyler’s favorite target hauling in 17 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.  Senior tight end Robbie Mangas (6’4”, 260 lbs.) is a balanced tight end that excels in both run blocking and pass catching.

The Dartmouth defense has been stifling through its first three contests.  Senior linebacker Jalen Mackie (6’1”, 240 lbs.) is a wrecking ball for the Big Green with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and an interception on the season.  Senior linebacker Tanner Cross (6’1”, 220 lbs.) is 2^nd on the team in tackles with 21 tackles, half a sack, an interception and a forced fumble.  Senior defensive end Seth Walter has been the most productive member of Dartmouth’s defensive line with 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack.  Senior defensive linemen Luca Di Leo and Tobi Adedara are both big-bodied defenders that are stout at the point of attack.  Dartmouth’s secondary is stacked with talent, yet Penn was able to create some separation on their passing routes although they rarely capitalized on the opportunities due to pressure, poor passes and dropped balls.  Senior safety Niko Mermigas was named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-Ivy First Team and was an honorable mention to the All-Ivy team in 2019.  Senior safety John Pupel leads the secondary in tackles with 15 tackles and a tackle for loss.  Senior corner Isaiah Johnson (6’3”, 205 lbs.) has the size to matchup with any receiver in the Ivy League and he’s performed well alongside fellow senior corner Dewayne Terry who has started in contests since his sophomore season.               

The Big Green play aggressively on special teams as they blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown against Penn.  Kicker Connor Davis made his only field goal attempt of the season last week.  Punter Cameron Baller has only had to punt 5 times this season and averages just 38.6 yards per punt, so Yale could control the field position battle if the Bulldogs can come up with big defensive stops on 3^rd downs.

The Bulldogs will need to correct mental mistakes and play their best football of the season this week to leave Hanover victorious.

Go Bulldogs!

The Bulldogs cruised to a 34-0 win over Lehigh on Saturday albeit against one of the weakest squads we’ve faced over the last few years.  The level of play will have to amplified again this week as we hit the road to compete against arguably the toughest Ivy League foe of the season in Dartmouth.

The Yale offense started sluggishly on the first drive with a three-and-out but got into a rhythm on the second possession of the game with O’Connor connecting with freshman David Pantelis on a 27-yard touchdown strike.  Pantelis’ touchdown reception was reminiscent of Klubnik’s catches early in his career.  O’Connor’s performance was up-and-down completing just 50% of his passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.  A combination of errant throws into coverage, receivers dropping passes and poor offensive line play led to the low completion percentage.  Lehigh defenders slammed O’Connor to the turf in the second quarter and he did not play in the second half likely as a precautionary measure. Grooms played well in the second half completing 6 of 8 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Dudek led the Bulldogs in rushing with 8 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown as he became the most efficient running back in Yale history in terms of yards per carry.  McElwain had a great outing showing off his speed on a 48-yard run.  The offensive line struggled to maintain consistency as there were moments that they opened holes and kept the pocket clean and other times when defenders were immediately able to break free into the backfield.  Tipton had his best game of the season with 122 reception yards on 3 catches and a touchdown. 

Clay Patterson was the star of the defense racking up an astounding 9 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.  Nickerson had a field day against Lehigh’s offensive tackles adding 2 sacks to his junior campaign.  Raine and Moore each notched a sack as well.  Sampleton did not play his best football on Saturday highlighting the need for Oso to return to the lineup.  Lehigh simply couldn’t move the ball on the Yale defense with just 146 yards of total offense or 2.5 yards per play.  Quarterback Nigel Summerville was held to 12 of 23 on passing attempts for 103 yards.  Summerville was constantly under pressure and when he did have a chance to connect with an open receiver, they often dropped the pass.  There’s still room for improvement in the linebacking corps and secondary but it’s hard to complain after a shutout.

On special teams, Bosman missed another PAT and Rouse bobbled two punts that could have turned into disasters had he not recovered them.  Bosman was excellent in his punting duties though averaging 41.5 yards per punt with 3 punts inside Lehigh’s 20-yard line and 2 punts that were 50 yards.           

The Bulldogs will travel to Bethlehem this weekend to compete against the 0-4 Lehigh Mountain Hawks.  Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be televised on ESPN+.

The Mountain Hawks have faced a brutal schedule to start the season with contests against #15 Villanova, #22 Richmond, Princeton and Colgate.  Offensive mistakes have plagued Lehigh as they have yet to score a touchdown and have only posted 9 total points in four games.  Lehigh is still a battle-hardened squad with a solid coaching staff led by Tom Gilmore, a Penn alumnus and former coach at Penn, Columbia and Dartmouth.  The Mountain Hawks cannot be overlooked this weekend as this contest has all the indications of a classic trap game for Yale.

The Mountain Hawks have yet to find consistency at the quarterback position with four different players attempting passes this season.  Junior QB Cross Wilkinson started the first three contests but was replaced last week versus Colgate by sophomore Dante Perri.  Perri finished 13 of 19 for 46 yards and an interception in his first start.  As a team, the Mountain Hawks have completed 58% of passing attempts for an average of 6.2 yards per completion.  Decision making and accuracy have not been strong points for Lehigh’s quarterbacks as they’ve thrown 7 interceptions without a touchdown.  We’ve witnessed a backup quarterback from Lehigh throw for over 400 yards on the Yale defense, so the Bulldogs’ secondary will need to play sound football to contain the aerial threats.

Junior WR Johnny Foley (6’2”, 200 lbs.) has been the favorite target of Lehigh passers with 10 receptions for 81 yards.  Sophomore WR Eric Johnson (no relation to the former Eli) is another tall physical receiver to keep an eye on in this contest.  Senior TE Alex Snyder (6’5”, 245 lbs.) leads the Mountain Hawks in receiving yards with 83 yards on 8 receptions.  Cornell missed a few opportunities with open tight ends last week, so Lehigh may try to lean heavily on their tight end production this week.

Senior RB Rashawn Allen (5’9”, 220 lbs.) is a stout runner that is hard to bring down, although his production has suffered this season behind a struggling offensive line.  Freshman RB Gaige Garcia (5’10”, 215 lbs.) is a transfer from Michigan that has played well in his first season leading the Mountain Hawks in rushing yardage while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.   Disrupting the line of scrimmage and tackling well will be vital for a Bulldog victory.

The Lehigh offensive line is an experienced and sizable group averaging 295 lbs. across the board with only one new starter in the mix.  Senior C Justin Gurth (6’3”, 300 lbs.) is the leader of the offensive line as a four-year starter and 2^nd Team All-Patriot League performer last season.  Despite the size and experience, the offensive line has not lived up to their potential failing to control the line of scrimmage in the running game.  Playing from behind certainly has not helped the offensive line as defenses have been able to aggressively rush the passer resulting in 14 sacks against Lehigh for a total of 104 yards lost.

The Lehigh defense has not played as a cohesive unit yet this season allowing an average of 457.3 yards per game and a total of 16 touchdowns.  Opponents have averaged over 5 yards per carry and over 8 yards per passing attempt.  The defense does tighten up on third and fourth downs limiting opponents to 45.0% efficiency on 3^rd downs and 37.5% efficiency on fourth downs.  The Mountain Hawks’ defensive line has been able to effectively rush the passer racking up 9 sacks this season to place them 2^nd in the Patriot League in sacks.  Juniors Mikhari Sibblis (6’4”, 250 lbs.) and Stephen Bland (6’1”, 250 lbs.) and Sophomore Trevor Harris (6’3”, 245 lbs.) are all tied with two sacks each.  Senior LB and captain Pete Haffner has not played since the Richmond contest and the Mountain Hawks have sorely missed the presence of the two-time 2^nd Team All-Patriot League selection.  Senior LB Nate Norris has played well despite the absence of Haffner racking up 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.  Sophomore linebackers Liam McIntyre and Mike DeNucci have combined for another 38 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and an interception.  Junior safety Tygee Leach was a 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection last year and is the most talented defender on the roster.  Leach leads the team with 24 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 3 pass breakups.  Freshman DB Logan Jones has the potential to be an All-Patriot League defender in the years to come and has notched 19 tackles and 2 pass breakups to start his career.      

Junior kicker Dylan Van Dusen has been perfect on field goal attempts (3 for 3) accounting for all of Lehigh’s points this season.  Sophomore punter Daniel Simpson has averaged 38.2 yards per punt and has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line on 8 occasions.   The Mountain Hawks have blocked punts in two consecutive games, so our punting unit will face their toughest blocking assignment this week. 

The Bulldogs held on for a 23-17 win over the Big Red on Saturday in front of 4,916 loyal fans in attendance at the Bowl.  Yale improves to 1-1 on the season and will travel to face 0-4 Lehigh this Saturday.

The Yale offense made strides from Week 1 to Week 2, but there remains much work to do before we face stronger Ivy League competition.  The Bulldogs won the time of possession battle (32:30 to 26:56) and bested Cornell in total offensive yards (409 yards to 336 yards).  The Bulldogs continued to struggle however on third and fourth down conversions with just 2 of 11 successful third down conversions and 1 of 2 successful fourth down conversions.  O’Connor had a much better performance this past week completing 23 of 38 attempts for 317 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.  Communication along the offensive line was improved this week allowing just one sack versus a very aggressive Cornell defense, yet Cornell was able to limit the rushing attack allowing just 2.9 yards per carry on 30 rushing attempts.  Holding penalties along the offensive line will need to be cleaned up this week as they were crippling to some drives and erased a fantastic run by Dudek in which he broke multiple tackles for a first down.  Carrington led all Yale receivers in yardage with 3 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.  Rouse led the Elis in receptions with 5 receptions for 61 yards including a 44-yarder.  Sandifer, Nenad and Aaron all had clutch plays from their wideout positions, while Hawes and Howland continued to excel at tight end.  We haven’t seen the production from Tipton that we expected coming out of pre-season as the timing between him and O’Connor has just seemed off the last two weeks.  The Lehigh contest should serve as an opportunity to get Tipton and O’Connor on the same page.

The Bulldogs played very stingy defense in the first half, yet mistakes caught up with them in the second half allowing Cornell to come back within one score of victory.  Cornell was limited to 4 of 16 on third down attempts but was more efficient on fourth downs and in the red zone going 2 for 3 and 3 for 5 respectively.  Cornell’s two quarterbacks combined for a mere 48% completion percentage on 52 attempts with 3 interceptions.  The Big Red’s receivers did not help with their offensive efficiency dropping two possible touchdown passes.  Wande Owens had a career day racking up 7 tackles, half a tackle for loss and an interception.  Rodney Thomas constantly came up with big plays including two interceptions and a pass breakup.  We were fortunate that Thomas’ late targeting penalty was reversed as that would have left the Bulldogs’ secondary vulnerable in the first half versus Lehigh.  Sophomore Clay Patterson started at defensive tackle and proved that he could be Yale’s best pass rusher registering 2 sacks.  Outside of a 28-yard rush by Cornell, the Yale run defense was more consistent than in the Holy Cross contest. The secondary played aggressively limiting the short and medium routes that Cornell favors but deep routes remain a concern has Cornell often had receivers 1-2 yards ahead of our corners and safeties.

Bosman struggled in his kicking duties going 2 for 3 on PAT’s and 1 for 2 on field goal attempts missing a 20-yard chip shot from the right hash.  He was solid in his punting duties averaging 40.2 yards per punt and pinned the Big Red twice inside their 20-yard line.  The kickoff return team deserves praise this week as Thomas ran back one onside kick for a touchdown and the Bulldogs were able to recover Cornell’s second onside attempt to effectively seal the game.        

The 0-1 Cornell Big Red will travel to New Haven this Saturday to take on the Bulldogs at the Bowl.  Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will be televised on ESPN+.

Cornell dropped its season opener to 22^nd ranked VMI 31-21 last weekend in Ithaca.  Senior quarterback Richie Kenney completed 18 of 47 passing attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns.  VMI was able to contain the Big Red’s rushing attack limiting starting senior running back, SK Howard, to just 35 yards on 11 carries.  Senior wide receiver Thomas Glover accounted for most of the reception yards hauling in 7 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.  Cornell actually outgained VMI in total offensive yards but lost the time of possession battle and allowed VMI to convert on three 4^th down attempts.  The Bulldogs will face another veteran squad this week as the Big Red feature 19 senior starters many of which are fifth year seniors.

Although Cornell quarterback Richie Kenney struggled with his accuracy and decision making in the opening contest, he was dangerous when on target averaging 15.2 yards per completion.  He showed great poise in the pocket as he was willing to set his feet and deliver a strike before taking big hits from pass rushers.  Kenney poses a much larger passing threat than we saw last week from Holy Cross’ Sluka.  Cornell threw the ball on over 63% of offensive downs and utilizes a more varied offensive scheme than we’ve seen from them in the past with additional spread formations, run-play-option schemes, screens and traditional power-running formations.

Senior running back SK Howard is a balanced, versatile back that averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2019.  Howard splits carries with fellow seniors Devon Brewer and Delonte Harrell.  Based on the Yale-Holy Cross footage, Cornell may elect to test the Bulldogs’ run defense early on to control the clock.  Our defensive line must take control of the line of scrimmage this week to limit the rushing attack and force Kenney into 3^rd and long throws.    

The wide receivers, in particular senior Thomas Glover, were able to consistently create separation from VMI defenders.  Glover is an extremely athletic wideout and crisp route runner that will have to be schemed against this week.   Senior wide receivers Alex Kuzy and Curtis Raymond III are large targets at 6’2”, 204 lbs. and 6’4”, 208 lbs. respectively that combined for 5 catches and 73 yards.  Cornell also looks to junior Javonni Cunningham on short passing plays to try to utilize his play-making abilities.  Senior tight end Ryan Fitton (6’5”, 245 lbs.) is a solid blocker and pass catcher that hauled in a 40-yard reception in the first contest. 

Cornell always seems to have a large offensive line and this year is no exception.  Senior Hunter Nourzad (6’4”, 298 lbs.) is the most talented of the bunch and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy League selection in 2019.  Seniors Jack Burns (6’3”, 295 lbs.) and Robert Fatovic (6’3”, 292 lbs.) are both returning starters from 2019 at center and guard respectively.  The offensive line was not able to consistently establish the run game versus VMI but excelled in pass protection by not allowing a single sack on 47 passing plays.  The Bulldogs will have to get more creative this week in dialing up line stunts and blitzes to keep the Big Red off balance. 

Cornell’s defensive coordinator Jared Backus favors a very aggressive defensive scheme with multiple blitz packages.  The Big Red’s secondary is stacked with experience and depth.  Senior safety Logan Thut (6’3”, 214 lbs.) led the defensive effort against VMI with a team-high 7 tackles.  Junior safety Jalyx Hunt (6’3”, 236 lbs.) is an NFL-sized safety that recorded 6 tackles last week.  Senior safety Isiah Hogan racked up 6 tackles while fellow senior safety Eric Diggs had 4 tackles and an interception off of a tipped pass.  Senior cornerback Kenan Clarke had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack against VMI that came on a corner blitz.  

The linebackers are the heart and soul of the Cornell defense.  Junior linebacker Jake Stebbins notched 6 tackles versus VMI and was a 2019 finalist for FCS Freshman of the Year.  Senior linebacker Lance Blass has been a starter since 2018 and racked up 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack last week.   Sophomore Noah Taylor played well in his first career start with 5 tackles, half a tackle for loss and half a sack.  The communication along our offensive front will have to be stellar this week to account for the blitzing linebackers, safeties and corners. Screens, quick-hitting passing plays and tight end targets should be utilized to make Cornell pay for its aggressiveness. 

Senior defensive lineman Jack Muench (6’3”, 263 lbs.) is the leader of the defensive line and had 3 tackles and a sack versus VMI.  Senior Max Lundeen (6’4”, 257 lbs.) and Sophomore Connor Morgan (6’3”, 270 lbs.) are both first-time starters that are stout at the point of attack.  The interior of our offensive line must improve significantly this week to allow Dudek and O’Connor to establish a rhythm.

Senior kicker Scott Lees was 3 for 3 on PAT’s and missed his only field goal attempt, a 39-yard try in the fourth quarter.  Senior punter Koby Kiefer averaged 37.5 yards per punt in the season opener.  Cornell’s punt coverage was excellent allowing just 3.0 yards per punt return, however VMI exposed Cornell’s kickoff coverage returning a kick for 61 yards.  It’s imperative for Yale to play excellent on special teams this week to win the field position battle.

Go Bulldogs!

It was wonderful to finally be back at the Bowl on Saturday after over 600 days without Bulldog football in our lives.  The crowd was thin even for an opening contest against an out-of-conference opponent with the official attendance listed at just 3,987 people. 

Ultimately, the play of the offensive line and quarterbacks was simply not enough to overcome an experienced and talented opponent in Holy Cross.  The last thing that we wanted to do was to leave the game in the hands of Holy Cross’ kicker and that’s exactly how the fourth quarter unfolded.  With a stagnant offense in the second half, the defense had to play perfectly to pull out a win and Holy Cross was able to find holes in the Bulldogs’ defense to keep the clock moving and sway the momentum that Yale once had in the first half.

Offensively, the Bulldogs came out flat to start the first quarter and seemed understandably rusty from not playing football last season.  Wide receivers were not creating enough separation, the offensive line was not establishing a dominant run-game and O’Connor’s initial throws were not on target.  O’Connor would settle down in the second quarter finding tight end Jackson Hawes on a 19-yard touchdown reception and tight end JJ Howland on a 74-yard touchdown scamper.  Nolan Grooms showed off his mobility in the third quarter leading a Yale drive that would result in a field goal.  The Holy Cross front seven would eventually wear down the Bulldog’s offensive line leading to stalled drives and missed opportunities.  The offensive line did not play with the level of physicality needed to control the line of scrimmage on running plays and communication was poor on passing downs with blitzers roaming free in the backfield.  Down 17-14 with under a minute left, O’Connor forced an errant pass into coverage resulting in an easy game-sealing interception for Holy Cross.  O’Connor would finish the contest at 15 of 29 passing attempts for 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.  Grooms was 3 for 3 through the air with 25 yards rushing.  Dudek had a rather pedestrian day for his standards with 69 yards rushing on 15 attempts.  JJ Howland led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 103 yards on 3 receptions.  The offense will need to regroup this week in practice to correct the mental errors and develop the blueprints for sustainable drives that will win the time of possession battle.

The defense for the most part played up to expectations and seemed to be more game-ready than the offense.  Holy Cross was limited on third down conversions to just 2 of 11 attempts, however the Crusaders were still able to average 5.8 yards per play including 4.8 yards per rush.  Holy Cross’ advantage of having three games under their belt certainly helped their efficiency in the second half when it appeared that the Yale defense began to tire.  The Crusaders’ veteran offensive line was able to clear wide running paths for their mobile quarterback and trio of talented running backs.  Sluka finished with 85 yards net rushing and 2 touchdowns.  Aside from a 63-yard passing play from Holy Cross, the secondary was a bright spot in this contest with corners typically blanketing receivers and the safeties displaying much improved angle tackling to limit big plays.  Captain John Dean had the best outing for a Bulldog defender with 11 tackles and crucial stops on 3^rd and 4^th downs. The defensive line must do a better job at creating penetration this week to allow the linebackers to plug the inside gaps.  The secondary needs to keep up the physical level of play while limiting mental errors.

Bosman was 1 of 2 on field goal attempts missing a 52-yarder in the third quarter and making a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the contest.  Bosman also averaged 40.8 yards per punt with a long of 52 yards.  Rouse struggled in his punt return duties with mental mistakes that we expect him to clean up this week with the coaching staff.  Tre Peterson had an average outing as kick returner with 3 returns for 64 yards.

The time has finally arrived for football season in New Haven as the Holy Cross Crusaders travel to the Yale Bowl on Saturday to take on the Elis.  Kickoff is slated for noon and television coverage will be provided by ESPN+.

Holy Cross has won back-to-back Patriot League championships and enters the contest with a record of 1-1.  In the Crusaders’ first game, they upset UCONN 38-28 which led to UCONN’s Randy Edsall resigning as head coach.  The thrill of their week one upset was quickly overshadowed by a 21-35 loss to Merrimack.

The Holy Cross offense is led by sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka.  Sluka is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback that has continued to make strides in his performance after being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season.  Through two games, Sluka has thrown for 260 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on 36 pass attempts (55.6% completion percentage).  On the ground, he has racked up 152 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for a whopping average of 6.3 yards per carry.  Sophomore quarterback Marco Siderman has also seen action in both contests throwing for 105 yards and a touchdown on only 7 passing attempts.  Our secondary will face a critical first test in limiting Sluka’s passing efficiency and tackling him in the open field. 

Junior running back Tyler Purdy is currently second on the team in rushing yards behind Sluka.  Purdy has rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 17 rushes for an average of 5.5 yards per carry.  Purdy was named 2^nd Team All-Patriot League in 2020 and splits carries with senior Peter Oliver who was also named 2^nd Team All-Patriot League in 2020.  Oliver is a big back at 222 lbs. that we will have to disrupt at the line of scrimmage before he gets a head of steam.  This is a run-first offense that has rushed the ball on over 63% of offensive plays although that figure may be misleading as Sluka is likely to run the ball when he feels the pocket is collapsing on designated passing plays.

We expect Holy Cross to expand their passing game in this contest given that they have been studying the Harvard-Yale film from 2019.  The Crusaders have a deep selection of talented and experienced wideouts to target.  Senior wide receiver Tenio Ayeni currently leads the team in receiving yards with 89 yards on 5 catches.  Ayeni did not appear in any games in 2020, but started twelve contests in 2019 and was named to Phil Steele’s 2^nd Team All-Patriot League team that season.  Senior Spencer Gilliam has started in contests since his freshman season and hauled in a 47-yard reception versus Yale in 2019.  Junior Ayir Asante could be the most talented of the bunch and is a two-time 2^nd Team All-Patriot League selection as well as an honorable mention Freshman All-American.  Rounding out the wide receiving corps is sophomore Jalen Coker who presents a physical challenge for our secondary at 6’3” and 207 lbs.

Holy Cross’ offensive line has the size and experience to control the line of scrimmage against most opponents.  Senior center and captain Nick Olsofka (6’4”, 289 lbs.) leads the offensive line and garnered 2^nd Team All-Patriot League honors in 2020.  The Crusaders were able to take advantage of UCONN’s injury-depleted front seven in their opening win before taking a step back last week versus Merrimack.  Holy Cross was simply unable to convert on third downs (1 of 7) and consequently only possessed the ball for roughly twenty minutes in large part due to the play of the offensive line.

The Crusaders’ defense can be described as physical and opportunistic.  The linebackers are the strength of the Holy Cross defense.  Junior Jacob Dobbs leads the team with 29 tackles and was a 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection a year ago.  Senior Liam Anderson has been all over the field with 16 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.  The Bulldogs will need to do a great job of getting offensive linemen to the second level to create running lanes for Dudek and company. 

The Holy Cross secondary is just as deep as the linebacking corps with all four starters having extensive playing experience.  Senior safety Grant Holloman has tallied 18 tackles and a forced fumble, while fellow senior safety Walter Reynolds has racked up 14 tackles and an interception.  Senior cornerback John Smith has two interceptions on the season and looks to once again be named to the 1^st Team All-Patriot League team.  Junior cornerback Devin Haskins started in all of the games in 2020 and has 7 tackles on the season.

Senior defensive end Benton Whitley is a two-time 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection that is off to a solid start to the season with 9 tackles.  Senior Dan Kuznetsov is yet another 2^nd Team All-Patriot League selection from his defensive end position.  Senior defensive tackles Jason Modak and Noah Johnson provide a physical presence on the interior of the defensive front and Modak hauled in an interception against UCONN that he returned for 29 yards.  Questions this off-season have swirled around how the new interior of our offensive line will perform and this matchup against an experienced defensive line will serve as the litmus test.

As Coach Reno mentioned in his newsletter, Holy Cross’ specialists are among the best in the Northeast.  Senior kicker Derek Ng has been perfect on field goals and PAT’s to start the season.  Junior punter Patrick Haughney is averaging 39.3 yards per punt with a long of 48 yards against Merrimack.

We look forward to reconnecting with all of you at the Bowl on Saturday.  Let’s go Bulldogs!