Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs host the Crimson on Saturday at the Bowl for the 139^th playing of The Game. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air nationally on ESPNU. Kinderhook Industries, a New York based private equity firm founded by two former Elis, is the official sponsor of this year’s contest.

Harvard enters The Game with an 8-1 record (5-1 Ivy) and has secured at least a share of the Ivy League Championship. Harvard’s sole loss came at Princeton in a 14-21 contest, although the Quakers had the Crimson on the ropes last week and simply could not perform in overtime to walk away with a victory.

Harvard’s offense is led by sophomore QB Jaden Craig (6’2”, 215 lbs.) who has proven to be a dual threat over his two starts. Junior QB Charles DePrima (6’2”, 185 lbs.) started the first seven contests but was eventually benched in favor of Craig after lackluster performances versus Princeton and Dartmouth. Craig has completed 59.4% of his passes for 530 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Crimson’s offense has heavily leaned on quarterback rushes this season and Craig has posted a whopping 6 rushing touchdowns. Junior RB Shane McLaughlin (5’11”, 200 lbs.) hits the holes very quickly and possesses surprising power with 5.5 yards per carry and 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. Harvard has a very talented wide receiving unit as well as the top tight end in the Ivy League. Sophomore WR Cooper Barkate (6’1”, 193 lbs.) has hauled in 36 catches for 441 yards and 3 touchdowns. Barkate is roommates with Craig and not surprisingly, has been targeted the most by Craig. In addition to Barkate, the Crimson have another three dangerous wideouts in senior Kaedyn Odermann (6’3”, 211 lbs.), junior Scott Woods II (5’8”, 176 lbs.), and junior Ledger Hatch (6’4”, 190 lbs.). Senior TE Tyler Neville (6’4”, 235 lbs.) was a 1^st Team All-Ivy tight end a year ago and is garnering a lot of attention from NFL scouts. Harvard’s offensive line is the most talented unit we have faced all year and averages 296.6 lbs. across the board. The offensive line is a bruising front that has paved the way for 5.1 yards per carry but struggled in pass protection against the Quakers last week as they allowed 6 sacks on Craig. Coach Murphy has seen gadget plays work on the Bulldogs over the last two weeks, so he will be pulling out all the stops in this contest. In fact, Harvard utilized the Philly Special in triple overtime to defeat Penn. Our defensive line must win battles at the line of scrimmage with linebackers and safeties successfully filling gaps to force Craig to try to beat us through the air. Craig will be looking at Barkate and Neville as his first options, so particular attention needs to be paid to these weapons. The Bulldogs will not win this contest if receivers are left as wide open as we saw Princeton’s Colella last week.

The heart of Harvard’s defense is senior DT Thor Griffith (6’2”, 320 lbs.), a 1^st Team All-Ivy selection a year ago who has posted 47 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks on the season. Griffith’s dominating play has allowed other Crimson defensive linemen to shine such as junior Brandon Svets (6’5”, 244 lbs.) and seniors Tyler Huenemann (6’3”, 283 lbs.) and Nate Leskovec (6’3”, 251 lbs.). Opponents have averaged just 3.2 yards per carry against the stiff front of Harvard. Senior LB Matt Hudson (6’3”, 230 lbs.) is a returning starter from a year ago who has played very well with 54 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and an interception. Harvard’s linebackers are solid players but not on the same level as Princeton’s Nicholas or Johnson. The Crimson do feature a far superior defensive backfield than the Tigers led by sophomore S Ty Bartrum (6’1”, 195 lbs.) who leads the team in both tackles and interceptions with 72 and 3 respectively. Senior S Kaleb Moody (5’10”, 191 lbs.) has been tremendous on defense and special teams with 50 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 blocked punts. Junior CB Gavin Shipman (5’11”, 168 lbs.) has provided tight coverage and leads the team with 7 pass breakups. The Bulldogs will have to find a way to contain Griffith to burn the clock with Pitsenberger and allow Grooms time to spot open receivers downfield. Like last week, the Elis will need numerous quick hitting, high probability plays to move the ball against this talented defense.

Senior K Cali Canaval (6’3”, 205 lbs.) is 7 of 9 on field goal attempts with a long of 43 yards this season. Junior P Sebastien Tasko (6’1”, 180 lbs.) has averaged 37.9 yards per punt with 12 punts placed inside the red zone. Freshman Xaviah Bascon (5’9”, 190 lbs.) has been excellent on kickoff returns with 28.5 yards per return.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Crimson!

The Bulldogs hit the road once again for their third and final away game of the season at Princeton. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPNU. 

The Tigers enter the contest with a 4-4 record (3-2 Ivy) after narrow league losses to Brown and Dartmouth earlier this season. Princeton defeated top-ranked Harvard as well as Columbia and Cornell as they leaned on their talented defense to stymie the opposition. 

Princeton’s offense was expected to be a top performing unit under the leadership of senior QB Blake Stenstrom (6’4”, 220 lbs.) but inconsistencies and turnovers have derailed the Tigers’ offense to date. When the Tigers are in a rhythm, which they’ve shown at times such as in the Harvard contest, they are very dangerous in the running game and passing game. Stenstrom has completed 60.3% of his passes for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Despite being a traditional pocket passer, Stenstrom is not afraid to run the ball and Surace has shown increased willingness in recent weeks to run designed QB runs. Junior RB John Volker (6’0”, 210 lbs.) was a former track star and has used that speed to gain 4.5 yards per carry with 6 touchdowns. Junior RB Jiggie Carr (5’10”, 200 lbs.) is also heavily involved in the offensive scheme and averages 4.3 yards per carry. Princeton reloaded at the wide receiver position once again with juniors AJ Barber (5’9”, 180 lbs.) and Luke Colella (6’0”, 190 lbs.) posting impressive statistics. Barber, son of former NFL legend Tiki Barber, has hauled in 36 catches for 530 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Colella has racked up 36 catches for 461 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Princeton’s receiving corps does a great job at finding soft spots in the secondary and gaining substantial yardage after catches. Surace gets very creative on offense and even had Barber attempt a long downfield pass against Harvard which was intercepted. The Tigers will also put a slot receiver or H-back in motion to the sidelines a split second before the ball is snapped and quickly deliver the ball to that receiver on a short outside pass. Given Yale’s inability to stop the reverses on 4^th down last week, one has to expect a similar wrinkle thrown into the gameplan by Princeton this week. Princeton’s offensive line averages 300.0 lbs. across the board and is led by 2^nd Team All-Ivy OT Jalen Travis (6’9”, 315 lbs.). The offensive line has struggled at times paving the way for just 3.0 yards per carry and has allowed 22 sacks, although several sacks were due in part to Stenstrom holding onto the ball too long in the pocket. Junior TE Tyler Picnic (6’4”, 230 lbs.) is a solid blocker and receiving threat with 17 catches and a touchdown through 8 games. Yale’s defensive strategy this week needs to focus on filling gaps in the running game, getting hits on Stenstrom, and staying true to assignments to limit the big play ability of the exotic schemes Surace may have implemented for this game. 

Princeton’s defense is not only the top defense in the Ivy League, but also the top defensive unit in the entire FCS subdivision. The Tigers are led by two of the best linebackers that we’ve seen in the conference over the last few years in seniors Ozzie Nicholas (6’2”, 225 lbs.) and Liam Johnson (6’0”, 225 lbs.). Nicholas has racked up a whopping 81 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this season and was named 2^nd Team All-Ivy a year ago. Johnson was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and if it weren’t for Nicholas’ stellar performances, he’d likely be a favorite to win the crown a second year in a row. Senior OLB Nicholas Sanker (6’3”, 235 lbs.) has been impressive on film disrupting plays at the line of scrimmage. Princeton’s defensive line does a great job at occupying blockers in their 3-4 defense to allow the linebackers to roam free. Senior DT Jack DelCarbino (5’11”, 275 lbs.) is a hard defender to move and has been the most productive defensive linemen for the Tigers with 37 tackles. Sophomore DE Bakari Edwards (6’1”, 225 lbs.) is a very skilled edge rusher who leads the team with 4 sacks. The best matchup for the Bulldogs in this contest is our wide receivers versus the Tigers’ defensive backs. Opponents have averaged just 2.4 yards per carry against Princeton but have fared moderately better in the passing game with 5.1 yards per attempt. Harvard and Dartmouth both had opportunities in the passing game but due to errant passes or dropped balls, were not able to exploit the Tigers on many occasions. Sophomore S Nasir Hill (6’1”, 190 lbs.) has been the top performing member of the secondary with 47 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception thus far. Princeton plays a fast and aggressive style of defense with great effort. Teams have not found success running the ball, particularly in short yardage situations, and the speed of the defense limits the effectiveness of screens. The Bulldogs have to find a way to get dedicated blockers on Nicholas and Johnson on every running play. The offensive staff must get creative with the short to medium passing plays to give Grooms quick options to unload the ball before the blitzers arrive.

Junior K Jeffrey Sexton (6’2”, 180 lbs.) has been successful on just 2 of 5 field goal attempts this season with a long of 29 yards. Freshman P Brady Clark (6’1”, 195 lbs.) has been reliable with 38.3 yards per punt and has not had a punt blocked this season. Our punt protection team will need to be aware of the very fast edge rushers that Princeton utilizes to disrupt opposing punters.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Tigers!  

The Bulldogs hit the road for just the second time this season as they travel to Providence to face the 4-3 (2-2 Ivy) Brown Bears. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

Brown has improved tremendously from a year ago and has league wins over Princeton and Penn. The Bears lost a narrow contest to Harvard in Week 2 and had a disappointing showing in Ithaca falling to the Big Red by 22 points in Week 5. Aside from the Cornell contest, all of Brown’s games have been extremely tight battles that came down to the wire.

Brown has a potent offense led by senior QB Jake Willcox (6’2”, 195 lbs.) who has completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,216 yards, 16 TDs, and only 7 interceptions. Willcox is coming off a strong showing versus the Quakers as he posted 249 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 0 interceptions, and 40 rushing yards in the win. Junior RB Stockton Owen (6’1”, 210 lbs.) leads the Bears in rushing touchdowns with 6 and is a physical runner averaging 3.0 yards per carry. Senior RB Ian Franzoni (5’11”, 210 lbs.) and junior RB Jordan DeLucia (5’11”, 215 lbs.) are also utilized heavily averaging 3.8 and 4.0 yards per carry respectively. Brown possesses the deepest wide receiver unit that we have faced this season. Senior WR Wes Rockett (6’0”, 185 lbs.) was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy wideout a year ago and seems to be a shoo-in for a 1^st Team slot this year with 47 catches for 633 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior WR Graham Walker (6’3”, 215 lbs.) is a large target with soft hands who had dominating performances versus Harvard and Princeton combining for 15 total receptions and 1 touchdown in those contests. Senior Mark Mahoney (6’5”, 240 lbs.) is listed as a wide receiver but has the size and power of any tight end in the Ivy League. The improved play of Brown’s offensive line has been one of the key factors in the turnaround for the Bears. The line averages 292.0 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 3.2 yards per carry while allowing only 7 sacks on the season. Creating pressure on Willcox and finding a way to cover the out routes that Brown favors in the passing game will be paramount this week.

While Brown’s defensive performance has not matched its offensive performance, the defense of the Bears has made big plays at key moments to stay alive in contests. Opponents have averaged 405.9 yards of total offense per game with 5.2 yards per carry and 6.8 yards per passing attempt. The Bears have excelled in creating turnovers with 9 interceptions and 3 fumbles recovered. The Bears’ secondary could be one of the most talented in the Ivy League. Junior DB Isaiah Reed (6’0”, 180 lbs.) leads the Bears in tackles with 39 and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with 3. Senior DB Aubrey Parker (5’10”, 185 lbs.) has notched 37 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 pass breakups. Senior CB Cooper DeVeau (6’0”, 190 lbs.) has been a mainstay on the defense for years and leads the Bears with a whopping 8 pass breakups. The defensive front has struggled at times to control the line of scrimmage but was able to create some pressure on Penn’s QB Sayin last week with 2 sacks. Senior DL Terrence Lane II (6’3”, 240 lbs.) has been the top performer along the defensive line for the Bears with 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The linebacker corps for Brown is an average unit among the league led by senior ILB Ethan Royer (6’2”, 240 lbs.) who has 36 tackles and 2.5 tackles on the season along with an interception versus Harvard. The key to this contest will be controlling the clock and converting on 3^rd downs to keep the Brown offense on the sidelines for as long as possible. The Bulldogs matchup well with the Bears in the running game and Grooms should have opportunities to exploit in the passing game with the right strategy of attack.

Junior K Christopher Maron (5’10”, 175 lbs.) has made 7 of 9 field goals with a long of 47 yards. Senior P Austin Alley (5’10”, 165 lbs.) is averaging 39.4 yards per punt and has placed 8 punts inside the red zone. Wes Rockett is a dangerous punt returner averaging 11.2 yards per return.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!