Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs were routed in Hanover by the Dartmouth Big Green in a 42-10 loss on Saturday.

Going into the contest against a stingy defense, we knew that there were going to be challenges blocking the talented Dartmouth defensive linemen.  The offensive line play was up and down and simply wasn’t consistent enough to sustain or finish drives.  When Rawlings did have time in the pocket, he seemed overly anxious as his footwork deteriorated and he forced passes into double coverage.  This led to two ugly interceptions that Dartmouth capitalized on in a hurry.  Rawlings finished the day with just 143 passing yards and 2 interceptions.  Griffin O’Connor didn’t fare much better throwing for 52 yards and completing under fifty percent of his passes.  Lamar and Dudek gained as much as they could in the running game, but we would have liked to see them break more arm tackles to spark the offense.  Melvin Rouse was surprisingly the offensive star of the day with 6 receptions for 65 yards.  Klubnik made a couple of nice catches before the Dartmouth secondary began keying on him nearly every passing play.  Shohfi wasn’t seen for much of the contest, so we are assuming he may have aggravated his prior injury.  The referees missed at least two pass interference calls on the Big Green in the first half, but you have to expect terrible officiating in the Ivy League.  The predictable offensive playcalling certainly didn’t help matters.  Dartmouth was able to play base defense rushing just three down linemen against our ineffective schemes.  The notable trick play of the afternoon consisted of handing the ball off to Griffin O’Connor to throw downfield.  Why not run this play with someone like Conte when opposing defenses have clearly seen O’Connor play quarterback on film?    Much like last year’s contest, this game was out of hand by the third quarter allowing Dartmouth to rotate in their backups.  Freshman QB Nolan Grooms led the Bulldogs on their only touchdown drive of the day completing all of his passing attempts and showing nimbleness in his scrambles.

Yale’s defense had no answers for the Big Green’s potent offensive attack.  Defensive linemen were not creating penetration, getting off blocks or keeping outside containment.  Linebackers were not filling the gaps fast enough or covering the running backs out of the backfield.  While the play of the front seven could be described as below average, the secondary’s performance was downright horrendous.  Dartmouth WR Drew Estrada posted 203 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 5 receptions.  Our cornerbacks and safeties were so far out of position, one had to wonder if they had watched any film of Dartmouth’s passing attack.  Even on simple 5 to 10 yard out routes, the closest defender was 10 yards away.  Aside from one trick play from Dartmouth, they ran basic plays that we should have been prepared for in such an important league contest.  This was the worst showing by the secondary since Penn’s Justin Watson torched the Bulldogs for 160 yards in one half back in 2016.  Princeton and Harvard both have passing attacks on par with Dartmouth’s, so we will need to improve in a hurry to stand a chance in our last two games.

Tuckerman nailed a 42 yard field goal in the second quarter and then missed a 23 yarder after Reno iced him with a timeout.  Bosman only punted twice averaging 35.5 yards per punt.

We’re on to Richmond.    

The Bulldogs travel to Hanover, New Hampshire this week to take on the undefeated Dartmouth Big Green.  The game kicks off at 1:30 PM and will be streamed on ESPN+.

Dartmouth has been dominant in all phases of the game over their first three contests.  Dual threat quarterback Jared Gerbino is a tough runner to bring down and is a good enough passer to exploit mishaps in the secondary.  Dartmouth will often fake the jet sweep or line up in an empty formation to run Gerbino up the middle.  Backup quarterback Derek Kyler is often substituted in for Gerbino and is a slightly better passer, but we expect to see Gerbino the vast majority of the contest based on his success in last year’s game.  The Big Green’s running backs are average for the Ivy League, but they are aided by a strong offensive line, the threat of Gerbino running the ball, and the constant misdirections from the jet sweeps.  Receivers Drew Estrada and Hunter Hagdorn will be the best receivers we have faced thus far and are equally dangerous in the running game.  The offensive line is not quite up to par with Dartmouth’s offensive line from a year ago in terms of size and strength, yet based on film, they are skilled blockers particularly in pass blocking.  Penn’s defensive line had early success versus the Dartmouth offensive line, but could not sustain the effort in the second through fourth quarters in the Quakers’ loss.  Teevens’ offensive strategy is very aggressive and he will go for it on fourth down regardless of the field position.

Jackson Perry, Jack Traynor and David Chalmers are the stars of the Big Green’s stingy defense.  Perry (280 lbs.) and Chalmers (290 lbs.) are big, athletic defensive linemen that have spoiled offensive game plans over the last few years.  Former Yale defensive line coach Duane Brooks referred to this unit as the best that he has ever coached.  Traynor is the Luke Kuechly of the Ivy League as he is a tackling machine at linebacker that is also effective covering backs and tight ends in the passing game.  Yale will need effective strategies to neutralize Dartmouth’s top three defensive playmakers to win this contest.  If there is any weakness to the Dartmouth defense, it is the secondary, although that could change with the return of All-Ivy cornerback Isiah Swann.  Penn’s quarterback was unable to deliver passes on time to open receivers allowing the Dartmouth safeties to break up several passes with big hits.

Punter Davis Brief is averaging 35.9 yards per punt with a season long of 43 yards.  Kicker Connor Davis has only attempted one field goal this season and made the try from 39 yards out.  WR Drew Estrada is a dangerous punt returner averaging 19.3 yards per return.

Go Bulldogs!

The Yale offense exploded on Saturday in a 48-24 win over Fordham.

Kurt Rawlings was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another two touchdowns. Lamar was back in action rushing 11 times for 52 yards, while Dudek had 7 carries for 33 yards. Lamar and Dudek were also receiving threats out of the backfield combining for 5 receptions for 33 yards. The offensive line had their best showing of the year pushing around defenders in the running game and giving Rawlings ample time in the passing game. The receivers and tight ends were nothing short of dominant. Shohfi could not be contained hauling in 5 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik had 5 receptions for 96 yards, while Tipton and Roman each caught bombs from Rawlings good for 48 yards and 41 yards respectively. McCord, White and Herring were all solid in the second half.

Ifesinachukwu and Matthaei could not be blocked by the Rams’ offensive line. Conlin likely had a headache all day trying to figure out how to spring his stellar running back free against the Bulldogs’ stout front seven. Burke was back in action at linebacker and was outstanding with 6 tackles, 3 tackles for losses and a sack. Rodney Thomas has become the star of the defense in recent weeks with another strong showing. Thomas racked up 11 tackles, 3 tackles for losses, a sack, and a forced fumble. Ellis keeps improving by leaps and bounds each week. His interception for a touchdown in the second quarter put the Bulldogs ahead 45-10. There were a couple of mental errors in the secondary that led to wide open receivers streaking down the field, but it’s hard to complain after such a thorough beating of Fordham.

Sam Tuckerman had a nice showing in the kicking game. The areas of concern on special teams were the kickoff and punt coverages. Fordham’s kick returner had 5 returns for 150 yards including a 53 yarder.

This was exactly the type of momentum we needed heading into the toughest week of the season.

The 2-3 Fordham Rams travel to New Haven this Saturday to take on the Bulldogs at 1PM. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, but let’s try to pack the Bowl with at least six thousand fans this week.

The Rams are much improved this season and just beat a solid Richmond team 23-16 last week. This will not be the easiest game on our schedule as some believed in the preseason. Quarterback Tim DeMorat is an average Patriot League signal caller who has thrown for 185.8 yards per game with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. DeMorat’s two favorite targets in the passing game, Hamze El-Zayat and Fotis Kokosiolus, are likely the best receivers we have faced thus far. El-Zayat and Kokosiolus are averaging 10.0 and 12.2 yards per catch respectively. The running game is clearly the strength of Fordham’s offense led by Wallingford’s Zach Davis. Davis has rushed for 511 yards or 102.2 yards per game with an average rushing attempt of 6.1 yards. Fordham’s offensive line is large and appears to be on par with Cornell’s based on game film. The Rams have struggled on 3rd downs converting on just 36% of their attempts this season. The Bulldogs will need to create penetration with the front seven to shut down the running game on early downs and force Fordham into uncomfortable 3rd and long positions. Ball security is an issue for the Rams as they have already fumbled nine times this season.

Sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen leads Fordham’s defense with a whopping 55 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Glastonbury’s Glenn Cunningham is another standout linebacker with the ability to cover tight ends and running backs. Our offensive line will need to get to the second level to spring Dudek on running plays. Anthony Diodato and Ellis Taylor are the best playmakers for Fordham along the defensive line. Diodato and Taylor each have 15 tackles and a blocked kick. Taylor has a knack for pass rushing racking up 4 sacks. Fifth year senior James Biggs-Frazier leads the secondary with 25 tackles and a forced fumble. The Fordham defense has been outscored 42-14 in the first quarter and 49-25 in the second quarter, so Yale must look to put points on the board in a hurry before Paul Rice (former Yale captain) can get his defense to clamp down on the Elis.

Andrew Mevis is Fordham’s kicker and punter. He is 6 for 8 on field goal attempts with a long of 42 yards, while his punting average is a respectable 39.9 yards.

Fordham’s head coach, Joe Conlin, was Yale’s former offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, so he’ll be fired up to try to knock off the Bulldogs. With a brutal matchup against Dartmouth looming, it’s imperative to clean up the mental mistakes this week and above all, stay healthy.

Yale emerged from Saturday’s contest victorious with a hard fought win over Cornell 27-16.

The first drive started off beautifully with the offensive line opening big holes for Dudek and Rawlings slinging the ball to open receivers. The drive stalled inside Cornell’s redzone and instead of taking the three points on fourth down, Cahill gambled with a Dudek run up the middle that was stopped short. As we mentioned last week, Dudek is not a fourth and short runner. Dudek has excellent vision, balance and quickness, but he needs space to operate that simply is not there on fourth and short situations. Given that our power backs Lamar and Alston were out with injuries, we should have tried for a field goal or come up with a short passing play to our plethora of talented wideouts and tight ends. There seems to be a disconnect on the offensive side of the ball as to how to utilize the talent that we have effectively. The offensive line play started off strong, yet deteriorated as the game went on. Rawlings never seemed comfortable in the pocket finishing with 181 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception. Running a slant pattern in the redzone is no longer a safe option at the collegiate or pro level with every safety and corner looking to jump the route. Klubnik, Shohfi, and Tipton each hauled in four passes, while Roman had another strong showing at tight end.

The Bulldog’s defense was a lifesaver in this contest. Burke and Pope were out with injuries and Dean was injured during the contest, so the front seven struggled to contain Cornell’s potent rushing attack. With their backs against the wall, the secondary came up with big play after big play. Rodney Thomas had two interceptions including a “pick six”, while Dathan Hickey also had two interceptions at critical moments. Awodiran had a nice showing as he racked up a total of 10 tackles on the day. Ifesinachukwu added the lone sack for the Elis and continues to get better each week.

The special teams play improved tremendously in just a week. Tuckerman did not miss a kick, while Bosman averaged just shy of 40 yards per punt. Shohfi had the second best highlight of the afternoon (behind Thomas’ interception for a score) taking an onside kick back for a touchdown to destroy any chance of a Cornell comeback. Other Ivy opponents will be thinking twice before attempting an onside kick against us.

The Cornell Big Red travel to New Haven this week for a 1 PM showdown against the Elis. ESPN+ will be streaming the contest for those not at the Bowl.

Cornell is a much stronger opponent than Holy Cross this season and the Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them to secure a victory. Quarterback Mike Catanese is a dual threat quarterback with serious speed. Catanese scored on a 42 yard dive up the middle last week in the Big Red’s 21-7 victory over Marist. He finished the afternoon with 130 yards passing (75% completion percentage), 79 yards rushing and was only sacked once. Running back Harold Coles torched the Marist defense for 127 yards rushing with a whopping 7.9 yards per carry. Tight end John Fitzgerald is a big target with sticky hands and is a favorite of Catanese especially on play action plays. Receivers Owen Peters and Phazione McClurge will test our revamped secondary. The offensive line played well against Marist, but the improved Bulldog defensive line should matchup well against them. Cornell showed various formations from an empty formation with five wideouts to a full house backfield with three running backs. Outside containment will be critical this week as Cornell loves to attack the edges with jet sweeps and options.

The Cornell defensive line is not the biggest line we will face this season, but they are quick and very active with their hands to disengage from blockers. Defensive lineman Nathaniel Weber was a standout on film showing an effective swim move. The linebacking corps is strong led by Junior Lance Blass. Blass had 8 tackles against Yale last season and was very active against Marist. The secondary is above average and despite not facing a quality opponent in the first week, they did give up long passing plays of 51 yards and 28 yards. Cornell always plays very aggressively against the Bulldogs as they stack the box on running downs and blitz the house on passing plays. The Bulldogs will have to protect Rawlings long enough to exploit the single coverages on our top targets.

Cornell kicker Garrett Patla made all three of his extra point attempts, but missed a 45 yard field goal. Punter Koby Kiefer averaged just 32.2 yards per punt, although he did boom one punt for 55 yards and placed two other punts inside Marist’s twenty yard line.

The Bulldogs opened their season with a 23-10 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders.

Yale methodically marched down on the opening series with a long Klubnik pass and a two yard touchdown scamper from Dudek. Lamar had a nice eleven yard carry on the drive, but signaled for relief to the sideline and was not seen again. Howland suffered a serious injury on the next possession and may be lost for the season. Shohfi was dressed for the game, but did not participate. In his absence, Conte, Herring, and Tipton saw extended action and each was highly impressive. Conte led all receivers with three catches for 54 yards. Klubnik played up to his usual standard, although Rawlings seemed to force a few balls to him when other receivers had more favorable matchups. Dudek appeared to be fully healthy running for 96 yards with an average of 5.1 yards per carry. Alston suffered a serious injury leaving McElwain as Yale’s only healthy power runner. Rawlings wasn’t as crisp as we’ve seen him, yet he showed the same grit and determination as he did in the 2017 campaign. The offensive line play was up and down both in pass blocking and run blocking. Dudek had several large holes paved for him, but on obvious running situations, the Crusaders were able to penetrate the backfield. The line did well against Holy Cross’ base front in passing situations. When Holy Cross decided to blitz, Rawlings was left scrambling for his life.

The tackling on defense is much improved from a season ago. Plays that would have turned into touchdowns last season were contained for the most part. The front seven had a nice showing led by Matthaei. Matthaei racked up six tackles, three TFLs and one sack. Nickerson had three tackles and a momentum changing fumble recovery. Burke, Awodiran, Pope, Dean and Thomas all had good performances at linebacker. The secondary is still a work in progress. Holy Cross had a few receivers streaking wide open on long passes, but Degenhardt failed to deliver catchable passes. The defensive backs still do not turn their heads to play the ball.

The kicking and punting need to be improved in a hurry. Tuckerman missed the first extra point and Bosman only averaged 35 yard per punt with one punt hitting a Bulldog’s helmet as he ran down the field to cover. Rouse is a phenomenal punt returner and should have a touchdown or two in this position over the course of the year.

The offensive play calling was effective, but too predicable at times. Running Dudek on 3rd and short early in the contest when Alston was still available did not make sense. The 3rd and 5 run with Charles was also a mistake. All in all, it was a solid coaching performance for a first game with several star players out.

Next up: the Cornell Big Red