Category: Game Week

Yale travels to Hanover, NH to take on the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 PM and the game will air on ESPN+.  

Dartmouth enters the contest with a record of 2-1 (1-0 Ivy) following an overtime win over Penn last weekend in Philadelphia. New Hampshire prevailed over Dartmouth in the Big Green’s opening game 24-7, but Dartmouth trounced Lehigh the following week 34-17. Dartmouth is 2-0 since Teevens’ death on the 19^th and will be fired up for the first Ivy home game in Hanover since his passing.

Dartmouth utilizes two senior quarterbacks, Nick Howard (6’2″, 225 lbs.) and Dylan Cadwallader (6’2″, 190 lbs.), to lead its offensive attack. Howard is a bruising runner that can gain yardage up the middle or surprise a defense with his arm occasionally. Howard averages 4.2 yards per carry and has completed 46.7% of his passes for 94 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Cadwallader is the primary passer and has played well completing 66.0% of his passes for 308 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Junior RB Q Jones (5’11”, 195 lbs.) is 2^nd on the team in rushing yards behind Howard and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Sophomore RB DJ Crowther (5’11”, 205 lbs.) is another talented back for the Big Green who had some nice runs over the last two weeks. Dartmouth’s offensive line averages 288.0 lbs. across the board and is an experienced unit with 4 returning starters from a year ago, although only 3 of those returning starters appeared against Penn a week ago. The Big Green have been exceptional at pass blocking only allowing a single sack on the season and did not allow a sack last week versus Penn. Senior WR Paxton Scott (6’1″, 200 lbs.) is one of the top wideouts in the Ivy League and leads Dartmouth in reception yards with 165. Senior TE Jace Henry (6’4″, 270 lbs.) is massive for his position and earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy a year ago. Dartmouth has a varied attack with runs up the middle with Howard, jet sweeps, throws to the tailback and deep shots. Given the possibility of rain on Saturday, this seems to be a matchup that will depend on controlling the line of scrimmage and staying disciplined in the secondary to avoid the big plays.

Dartmouth’s defense is led by senior LB Macklin Ayers (6’3″, 235 lbs.) who has racked up 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Junior OLB Braden Mullen (6’3″, 240 lbs.) leads the Big Green in sacks with 3.5 and tries to put punishing hits on opposing quarterbacks. Dartmouth’s defensive line performed very well against Penn limiting the Quakers to just 11 yards on the afternoon. Penn’s offensive line struggled to contain Dartmouth’s pass rush allowing 3 sacks. New Hampshire has been the only opponent that could really create rushing lanes against Dartmouth so far this season. Junior DT Josiah Green (6’0”, 265 lbs.) is stout at the point of attack and an excellent pass rusher. Senior DL Hank Knez (6’4”, 290 lbs.) has been the most productive defensive linemen with 12 tackles and half a tackle for a loss through 3 games. Yale matches up well against Dartmouth’s secondary, although this advantage could be neutralized by the weather. Senior S Quinten Arello (6’1”, 210 lbs.) was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy performer a year ago and fellow senior S Leonard St. Gourdin (6’3”, 205 lbs.) leads the team in pass breakups with 3. Yale will need to find a way to get the ground game moving against a stiff front seven. The Big Green have a fast-flowing defense that is great against screens and short outside throws, so capitalizing on medium to long passing plays when possible will be paramount.

Freshman K Owen Zalc (5’10”, 160 lbs.) is 5 of 7 on field goal attempts and nailed the game winner over Penn a week ago in OT. Junior P Davis Golick (6’1”, 210 lbs.) is averaging 37.1 yards per punt with a season long of 49 yards. Dartmouth blocked a punt against Penn, so our punt protection team could face their toughest task of the season.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Big Green!

The Morgan State Bears travel to the Bowl on Saturday for a showdown versus the Bulldogs. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+. Weather could play a factor once again with a 45% chance of precipitation at noon with winds of 13 mph.

Morgan State is a public historically black university located in Baltimore, MD. The Bears enter the contest with a record of 1-3 as they have battled through a brutal early season schedule. In Week 1, Morgan State defeated a solid Richmond squad and nearly knocked off an FBS opponent in the University of Akron in Week 2. Towson has been the only squad that distanced itself from Morgan State defeating the Bears by 10 points in Week 3. Last week, Morgan State lost in double overtime to the University of Albany, another talented squad that crushed Fordham and kept contests versus Marshall and Hawaii close. 

Sophomore QB Dominique Anthony (6’1″, 213 lbs.) has seen the most snaps for the Bears’ offense completing 47.6% of his passes for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Senior QB Carson Baker (6’3″, 205 lbs.) was a prior starter at San Diego State and started 7 contests last season for Morgan State yet did not start the past two contests. Junior QB Duce Taylor (6’1″, 180 lbs.) started in the Towson game but was sidelined in favor of Anthony last week. All three QBs have struggled as they have combined for under a 50% completion rate and have thrown 6 interceptions to only 4 touchdowns this season. Junior RB JJ Davis (5’9″, 172 lbs.) is an explosive back who began his career at Cincinnati before transferring to Norfolk State and Morgan State. At Norfolk State, Davis was a 1^st Team All-MEAC selection and led the nation in yards per carry with 7.2. Senior RB Jabriel Johnson (5’9″, 205 lbs.) offers a bit more power than Davis and is the only running back to score a rushing touchdown in four contests. Morgan State’s favorite target has been senior WR Treveyon Scott (6’2″, 195 lbs.) who is averaging an astounding 13.3 yards per reception. The offensive line for the Bears is not as experienced as the lines we faced from Holy Cross and Cornell returning two starters from a year ago in senior Dexter Carr Jr. (6’3″, 315 lbs.) and junior Treyvon Branch (6’3″, 290 lbs.). The Bears average 293.0 lbs. across the front and paved the way for just 2.3 yards per carry while allowing 10 sacks. Sophomore TE Matt Lowe (6’5″, 255 lbs.) is a large target with an FCS pedigree transferring from Fresno State after the 2020 season. The Bears will pose challenges for the Bulldogs this week particularly with their talented skill positions, but Yale will need to find solutions for their defensive woes before heading into the do-or-die Ivy schedule.

Morgan State’s defense has performed very well limiting all opponents to under 24 points per game. Opponents have struggled on 3^rd downs converting on just 33.9% of attempts and the Bears are stingy in the redzone as teams have scored touchdowns on only 5 of 11 drives inside of the 20-yard line. Running the ball versus the Bears could be a challenge as they have limited rushers to 2.7 yards per carry. Morgan State’s pass defense has allowed completions on 63.1% of throws for an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. Junior LB Erick Hunter (6’4″, 210 lbs.) has been the most productive defender with 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Hunter’s fellow LB, senior Lawrence Richardson (6’1″, 215 lbs.), led the team in tackles a year ago and was named 1^st Team All-MEAC in various preseason publications. Senior S Jordan Toles (6’1″, 209 lbs.) played at LSU for the first two years of his collegiate career and is a ballhawk that Grooms will have to take notice of as he has racked up 3 interceptions on the season. Senior CB Jae’Veyon Morton (5’9″, 180 lbs.) is a polished defensive back who garnered 1^st Team All-MEAC recognition a year ago, originally transferring from Iowa State. Junior DL Elijah Williams (6’3″, 270 lbs.) is the leader of the defensive line and has performed well with 17 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in four contests. Former Wilber Cross athlete and New Haven local, senior OLB/DE Noah Washington (6’5″, 275 lbs.), transferred from Central Connecticut and has posted 13 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. Overall, Morgan State’s defensive line and linebackers are on par with the units we faced last week versus Cornell, however, they do feature more talent in the secondary than the Big Red.

Freshman P Shane Messenger (6’0″, 200 lbs.) has averaged below 40.0 yards per punt for 3 weeks straight including a poor 27.6 yards per punt average a week ago. Junior Beckett Leary (6’3″, 215 lbs.) is 3 for 4 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!

The Big Red travel to New Haven to take on the Bulldogs at the Bowl on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+. Weather forecasts are predicting rain with 16 mph winds which will certainly play a role in this contest. 

Cornell defeated Lehigh in the season opener last week by a score of 23-20. The Big Red posted 401 yards of total offense or 5.6 yards per play and dominated the time of possession holding the ball for over 38 minutes. 

Junior QB Jameson Wang (6’1”, 205 lbs.) was an honorable mention All-Ivy player a year ago and was very productive in his first outing of the season completing 20 of 32 passes for 297 yards and 2 TDs. Wang is a true dual-threat quarterback who led the Big Red in rushing yards with 85 yards or 5.0 yards per carry against Lehigh.   Cornell utilizes a committee of running backs such as senior RB Drew Powell (6’0”, 219 lbs.) but the stable of five backs only produced an additional 19 yards on top of Wang’s production. The wide receiver position is deep with the explosive sophomore Davon Kiser (5’7”, 153 lbs.) who was a 2nd Team All-Ivy returner a year ago and senior Nicholas Laboy (6’1”, 195 lbs.) who caught a 36-yard TD reception on the Bulldogs a year ago. The offensive line is a cohesive unit comprised entirely of returning starters. The line is very large averaging well over 300 lbs. across the board led by senior T Micah Sahakian (6’6”, 328 lbs.), a captain and honorable mention All-Ivy athlete. Senior TE Matt Robert (6’4”, 241 lbs.) is a dangerous receiving threat who racked up 468 receiving yards a year ago. The Bulldogs played very well defensively against Cornell in 2022 after a rough outing against Holy Cross, so hopefully a repeat is in store. The defensive line will need to step up to generate consistent pressure on Wang who has improved noticeably. Safety coverage and tackling will be as important as ever in this contest. 

Cornell’s defense is led by 3-time All-Ivy LB Jake Stebbins (6’0”, 231 lbs.) who has been the cornerstone of the defense for years. The linebacker position is very deep from inside to outside. Senior LB Holt Fletcher (6’4”, 257 lbs.) intercepted Lehigh twice last week and has started since 2021. Senior LB Connor Henderson (6’2”, 232 lbs.) was another honorable mention All-Ivy player in 2022. The Bulldogs match up well against Cornell’s defensive line with the Big Red returning one starter in senior Connor Morgan (6’3”, 279 lbs.). Beyond Stebbins, senior CB Paul Lewis III (6’2”, 212 lbs.) could be the next most talented defender with the size and speed to lock onto receivers. The three other starting defensive backs are all seasoned veterans who didn’t make many mistakes against Lehigh. It’s a very stingy and aggressive defense that will try to pressure grooms with a variety of blitzes. Yale will need to focus on consistency for four quarters and open the playbook to secure a win.

The Big Red had a tremendous day on special teams last week. Senior K/P Jackson Kennedy was 3 for 4 on field goal attempts and averaged 47.7 yards per punt. Davin Kiser demonstrated his elusiveness with 55 yards on 3 punt returns. Cornell blocked a PAT to cap off a solid performance.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Big Red!