Yale Football Blog

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.

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

Penn enters the contest with a 4-1 (2-0 Ivy) record with a lone loss to Lehigh. Penn defeated Dartmouth in a 36-24 contest and defeated Columbia last week in a 35-21 contest.

The Quakers’ offense is led by senior QB Liam O’Brien (6’0”, 200 lbs.) who took over the starting role last year after the Bulldogs injured Sayin. O’Brien has shown striking improvement from 2024 as he has completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,308 yards, 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. In the ground game, O’Brien is even more impressive averaging 4.2 yards per carry and has a whopping 5 rushing touchdowns. Senior RB Julien Stokes (5’7”, 190 lbs.) is the top back for Penn following the transfer of Hosley. Stokes is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and trails only O’Brien in rushing yards with 225. It has been reported that Stokes broke his fibula last week and will likely not reappear until the end of the season. Junior RB Sean Williams (5’10”, 195 lbs.) is a solid second option for Penn with an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Senior WR Jared Richardson (6’2”, 220 lbs.) is the star of Penn’s offense and has dominated opponents for years. Richardson has racked up 41 catches for 628 yards and 8 touchdowns through just 5 games. Senior WR Bisi Owens (6’4”, 215 lbs.) has started since his sophomore season and is O’Brien’s second favorite target with 32 receptions for 379 yards and a touchdown. Junior TE Cadin Olsen (6’5”, 230 lbs.) is a solid run blocker who can occasionally impact the passing game with one touchdown reception. Penn’s offensive line averages 308.0 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 4.1 rushing yards per carry with 9 sacks allowed. The offensive line is a very experienced, veteran unit featuring returning starters across the board. Senior T Netinho Olivieri (6’5”, 315 lbs.) was a 1^st Team All-Ivy selection in 2024 and will likely be the toughest lineman faced to date. The Penn offense is very difficult to contain with nearly the same level of offensive talent in place as Harvard. O’Brien has dangerous weapons at his disposal on passing downs but can also take off downfield to gain chunks of yardage. Yale must win the battle at the line of scrimmage while staying disciplined in pass coverage. Not only will the Bulldogs need to fluster O’Brien in the pocket, but they will also need to contain him so that he cannot slip downfield. Our cornerbacks will need to have their best performances of the season in this contest as Richardson and Owens have yet to be slowed down this season. There is zero margin for error against this talented offense, any personal foul or pass interference penalty could be the difference in the contest.

Priore’s expertise is on the defensive side of the ball where Penn always features a hard-hitting, fast-flowing unit. Senior LB John Lista (6’2”, 220 lbs.) is the leader of the defense and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy linebacker in 2024. Lista leads the team with 36 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack. Senior LB Kadari Machen (6’0”, 220 lbs.) led Penn in tackles in 2024 and has played very well through 5 games with 27 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Sophomore DB Ty Cortes (6’0”, 200 lbs.) has been the most active member of the Quakers’ secondary with 30 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a forced fumble. Junior DB Jayden Drayton (5’10”, 175 lbs.) made the switch from wide receiver to cornerback and has played well, while senior DB Alec Wills (5’11”, 175 lbs.) and junior DB Josh Narcisse (6’0”, 185 lbs.) return with starting experience from 2024. Senior DL Carter Janki (6’5”, 290 lbs.) is the leader along the defensive front and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy defender a year ago. Outside of Janki, Penn’s defensive line lacks deep experience and could be the weakest unit of the team. Penn has allowed 4.4 rushing yards per attempt and has only racked up 8 sacks on the season. Penn’s offense has been so explosive in the second half of games that some weaknesses on defense have been overlooked. Stonehill, for instance, scored 21 points on the Quakers and nearly rallied to a victory after a huge early deficit. The Bulldogs will need to burn the clock with a healthy dose of Pitsenberger and Daal to keep Penn’s offense off the field. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 9 of 15 drives in the redzone, so finding a way to Penn’s 20-yard line is critical. Turnovers stemming from ball security issues or mental mistakes in the passing game will need to be eliminated at all costs.

Freshman K Mason Walters (5’11”, 180 lbs.) is 4 of 6 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 45 yards. Walters took over the starting role from last year’s starter, senior Sam Smith (5’10”, 185 lbs.), who missed his only field goal attempt against Stonehill. Senior P Santiago Sturla averages 36.6 yards per punt and has placed 3 punts inside the redzone.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Quakers!

The Bulldogs roared back to life with a 47-7 victory over Stonehill last weekend at The Bowl. Yale improves to 3-2 (1-1 Ivy) on the season ahead of a pivotal matchup against Penn.

Dante Reno had the best performance of his career throwing for 267 yards and a touchdown without an interception. There were still 2-3 errant passes that could have been intercepted by a more talented defense, but overall, there was tremendous improvement from the Dartmouth contest to the Stonehill contest. Reno even looked more comfortable in the running game averaging 3.7 yards per carry and absorbing some hard hits. Pitsenberger and Daal were unstoppable on the ground averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 4.2 yards per carry respectively with a combined 3 touchdowns. Price and Djeumeni Kemeni combined for another 49 rushing yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. The offensive line manhandled Stonehill despite an injury to Charron early in the contest as they paved the way for 190 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns and did not allow a sack. Santiago and Brown could not be contained by Stonehill’s secondary with Santiago posting a career day with 150 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Brown continued to make eye-popping catches. Stephens has become a clutch receiver over the past few weeks with 3 catches for 15 yards against Stonehill. Smith and Maltarich have also stepped up as viable receiving targets in the wake of the injury to Shipp. Clearly Stonehill was a vastly inferior opponent to Dartmouth, but the offensive staff and players deserve praise for a great week of preparation heading into the final non-conference game.

Yale’s defense was dominant as the unit allowed just 152 total offensive yards on the afternoon. Stonehill couldn’t move the ball on the ground with 22 attempts for just 35 rushing yards forcing them into uncomfortable passing situations. Solid coverage combined with an aggressive pass rush led to a completion percentage of just 46.7% for a paltry 117 passing yards. Schmidt earned significant playing time at safety and led the team with 7 tackles on the afternoon. There were a number of strong performances along the defensive front. Jackson-Bass had 3 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Larry and Ugokwe each notched a sack, while Johnson added another 1.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker play from Ayo-Durojaiye and Grant was solid and it was great to see some of the younger linebackers see playing time in the fourth quarter. There were a handful of coverage lapses that will need to be corrected in practice this week, but it was a tremendous showing from the defense on Saturday.

Piper was perfect on four field goal attempts and five PATs. Keeney didn’t see much action with the offense moving the ball at will punting just once for 29 yards.

The Stonehill Skyhawks travel to New Haven to square off against the Yale Bulldogs on Saturday at the Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

Stonehill enters the contest at 2-4 with wins over Maine and LIU. The Skyhawks cannot be overlooked as they gave the Penn Quakers a scare, tying the contest at 21-21 in the fourth quarter before a Penn field goal with 9 seconds remaining sealed the Quakers’ victory.

The Skyhawks’ offense is led by senior QB Jack O’Connell (6’2”, 190 lbs.) who has completed 68.3% of his passes for 1,108 passing yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The offensive strategy is balanced with 183 rushing attempts and 183 passing attempts through 6 games. Senior RB Jarel Washington (5’10”, 208 lbs.) leads the rushing attack yet has struggled behind an inconsistent offensive line with just 2.6 yards per carry and no touchdowns. Senior RB Zavion Woodard (5’8”, 200 lbs.) also sees carries but has not fared much better than Washington with just 3.0 yards per carry and 1 touchdown. Offensive production for the Skyhawks has not been stellar as the team averages 74 rushing yards per game and 185 passing yards per game. Stonehill has not been effective on third downs with just a 36.4% conversion rate, although they have fared much better on fourth downs with a 72.2% conversion rate on 18 attempts. Senior WR Zachary Kim (6’1”, 200 lbs.) is a very talented transfer from New Hampshire who has 19 catches for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns. Senior WR Brigham Dunphy (6’0”, 185 lbs.) and junior WR Torance Washington (6’0”, 185 lbs.) are also heavily targeted and have combined for 31 catches for 251 yards. Seniors Cole Clark (6’2”, 230 lbs.) and Cody Ruffy (6’5”, 230 lbs.) split time at the tight end position and pose threats as receiving options. The offensive line averages 302.0 lbs. across the board but has been a weakness of the team as they have paved the way for just 2.4 rushing yards per attempt and have allowed 12 sacks. The Bulldogs need to focus on discipline this week by eliminating the personal fouls and pass interference penalties that have plagued us in recent weeks.

Junior LB Charles Battaglia (6’1”, 235 lbs.) is the leader of Stonehill’s defense and has played very well with 38 tackles and 2 sacks. Sophomore LB Christopher Williams (6’2”, 225 lbs.) is a product of Windsor, CT and has been a key contributor for the Skyhawks with 29 tackles. Sophomore DB Anthony Busa (6’3”, 200 lbs.) has been impactful in run support and pass support with 35 tackles, 6 pass breakups and an interception. Junior DB Richard Mosley (6’2”, 190 lbs.) is a top playmaker with 26 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception. The defensive line is led by senior DE Faisal Mass (6’3”, 265 lbs.) who is very strong at the point of attack. Sophomore DT Aidan Horodnik (6’3”, 285 lbs.) leads Stonehill in tackles for loss and sacks with 4 TFLs and 2.5 sacks. Overall, Stonehill’s defense has allowed 344.2 total offensive yards per game for an average of 5.6 yards per play. Opposing teams have gashed Stonehill’s front seven for 182.5 rushing yards per game with 11 rushing touchdowns. The focus for the offense this week needs to be finding an offensive scheme that can move the ball downfield with chunk plays and score points. Dante Reno must improve drastically in a hurry as his continued failures could doom Yale’s program through 2027. Coach Reno appears to be oblivious to this notion and ironically, his own career ambitions to move up to the FBS level could be crushed by the fiasco. Shipp will likely be out again this week, so younger receivers need to step up to supplement Brown, Santiago and Stephens.

Sophomore K Domenic Scalese (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is 3 of 4 on field goal attempts with a long of 34 yards. Junior P Logan Chenette (6’3”, 195 lbs.) has had a solid season averaging 42.4 yards per punt with 11 punts placed inside the redzone. Torance Washington is a very elusive returner that will stress our coverage teams.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Skyhawks!

The Bulldogs fell to the Big Green in a heartbreaker on Saturday in a 16-17 loss as the Curse of Buddy Teevens lives on. Yale is now 1-1 in Ivy League play (2-2 overall) and will likely need to win all its remaining Ivy League contests for a shot at the title and playoffs.

The offensive performance simply wasn’t good enough to beat a solid Ivy League opponent. What was once viewed as a team strength—the offensive line—has become a liability, with freshmen forced into action due to injuries and costly holding penalties piling up. Quarterback Dante Reno completed just 59.4% of his passes and struggled badly with accuracy throughout the game. The offense still lacks a cohesive plan to consistently move the ball and generate points. To their credit, the coaching staff appeared to adjust with some quick-hitting play calls to help Reno, but his errant short throws derailed those efforts. Running backs Pitsenberger and Daal ran hard and found space when available, combining for 147 rushing yards on the afternoon. Brown was outstanding, hauling in eight receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown—helped in part by Shipp’s absence, which opened up more targets. Santiago and Stephens made key contributions when called upon, while Smith’s clutch touchdown on a Tim Tebow-style jump pass from Reno provided one of the few bright moments of the day. The play calls on two fourth down conversion attempts could not have been worse with a predictable Pitsenberger run and a poorly designed passing play. A field goal on one of the fourth down attempts could have proven to be the difference in the contest. Coach Reno clearly did not learn from his mistakes last season against Dartmouth.

The defense played disciplined, effective football for three quarters before things unraveled in the fourth. Ayo-Durojaiye turned in another outstanding performance, leading the team with 13 tackles. Kamara was his usual high-energy self, flying around the field but drawing a pass interference penalty. Larry delivered his best game of the season, recording two sacks, including a strip-sack that gave the team a critical spark. Unfortunately, the unit’s weakest link proved to be Phoenix Grant, whose back-to-back mistakes were costly. He was flagged for a personal foul after striking Saunier on a play that had resulted in a Kamara interception—his second personal foul of the day following a late hit out of bounds earlier in the game. On the very next snap, Grant failed to shed a block as Saunier broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run. Despite those setbacks, the defense still had an opportunity to close out the win, but the secondary was picked apart late, allowing Dartmouth just enough yardage to set up and convert the game-winning 51-yard field goal.

Conforti nailed his only field goal attempt from 41 yards while Keeney had a quiet day punting just 3 times for an average of 36.0 yards. Piper’s failed PAT after what should have been a game-winning drive was the final nail in the coffin on a day we’d all like to forget.