Yale Football Blog

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.

The Bulldogs travel to Hanover for a pivotal showdown against the Dartmouth Big Green. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 PM and the game will air on ESPN+.

The Big Green enter the matchup with a 2-1 record following a shocking loss to the Penn Quakers in Philadelphia a week ago. A fumbled punt return, poor long snap that led to a safety, and two interceptions were too much for the Big Green to overcome against an Ivy rival. The Big Green defeated talented squads in the first two weeks of play with a 27-20 win over New Hampshire and a 35-28 victory over CCSU.

The Big Green’s offense is led by junior QB Grayson Saunier (6’2”, 215 lbs.) who has completed 65.4% of his passes for 793 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Saunier is a true dual threat quarterback with the lower body of a running back and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry with 3 rushing touchdowns on the season. In Dartmouth’s overtime win over Yale in 2024, Saunier torched the Bulldogs for 276 passing yards, 84 rushing yards, and a combined 5 touchdowns. Senior RB DJ Crowther (5’11”, 215 lbs.) has played very well averaging 5.2 yards per carry with 6 rushing touchdowns. Dartmouth always finds ways to get their backs involved in the passing game and this year is no exception as Crowther has 9 receptions for 63 yards. Senior WR Grayson O’Bara (6’1”, 190 lbs.) has been dominant with 15 receptions for 250 yards (16.7 yards per reception). Senior WR Daniel Haughton (6’1”, 190 lbs.) led the Big Green in receiving yards a year ago but has been limited due to injuries. Sophomore WRs Ky’Dric Fisher (6’0”, 175 lbs.) and Luke Rives (5’11”, 175 lbs.) have combined for another 8 catches for 149 yards. Senior TE Chris Corbo (6’5”, 250 lbs.) leads Dartmouth in receptions with 17 and is very hard to bring down in the open field. Reno will need to fire up some old Cole Champion highlights to show how Champion dealt with bruising tight ends. The Big Green’s offensive line averages 305.0 lbs. across the board and is a very disciplined unit. 5^th year senior OL Konstantin Spork (6’5”, 305 lbs.) has seen playing time since his freshman season and is the anchor of the unit. The Big Green’s line has paved the way for 4.8 rushing yards per attempt and have only given up 5 sacks through 3 games. This is a contest that will be won or lost in the trenches as the Big Green like to control the clock and keep defenses off balance. Expect a heavy dose of Crowther on the ground, while Saunier will likely look to take off downfield when the pocket collapses. If the Bulldogs overcommit to stopping the run, the Big Green could make them pay with targets to O’Bara and Corbo.

Dartmouth has a strong defense that has been put in tough situations after offensive or special teams miscues. The Big Green have only allowed 3.3 yards per carry and have been tremendous on third downs limiting opponents to just a 30.3% conversion rate. Senior LB Zyion Freer-Brown (6’1”, 240 lbs.) has been all over the field for Dartmouth with 20 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. Senior LB Thaddeus Gianaris (6’2”, 240 lbs.) is a strong edge rusher with 19 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and a team-high 2 sacks. Senior NB Tyson Grimm (6’1”, 215 lbs.) leads the Big Green in tackles with 22 through 3 games. Senior DB Patrick Campbell (6’0”, 195 lbs.) has been very impactful and is tied for the team lead in solo tackles with 11. The Big Green’s defensive line is led by the stout senior Dakota Quinonez (6’1”, 285 lbs.) who has been a handful for opposing linemen with 16 tackles and 2 quarterback hits. Junior DE Joshua Johnson (6’2”, 265 lbs.) and senior DL Joe Onuwabhagbe (6’2”, 265 lbs.) are two physical defensive linemen that will need to be accounted for. The Big Green have not been stellar against the pass as they have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 70.7% of passes for 7.1 yards per reception and 6 passing touchdowns. Jordan threw for over 400 yards on Dartmouth last season and Dante Reno will need substantial production improvements in this contest to keep it close. Yale will need to find rushing lanes for Pitsenberger and company as heaping the pressure on Dante Reno could spell doom. If Dante cannot show progression from last week’s disastrous performance, it might be time for McCaughey or Howe to step in.

Junior K Owen Zalc (5’10”, 165 lbs.) earned 1^st Team All-Ivy awards in 2023 and 2024. Through 3 games, Zalc is 3 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 36 yards. Sophomore P Luke Armistead (6’1”, 205 lbs.) averages 41.8 yards per punt and has placed one punt inside the redzone. Junior WR Ian Scott (5’11”, 175 lbs.) is a dangerous punt returner who will test our punt coverage.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Big Green!

The Yale Bulldogs travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for the first road trip of the season at #8 Lehigh. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

The Mountain Hawks enter the contest with an unblemished 5-0 record after a 44-30 victory over Penn last week. Lehigh’s Kevin Cahill will be seeking vengeance on his former boss, Tony Reno, following the Mountain Hawks’ loss to the Bulldogs in New Haven a year ago.

Sophomore QB Hayden Johnson (6’1”, 205 lbs.) earned the starting role at the end of his freshman campaign and looks much improved from 2024. Johnson has completed 60.7% of his passes for 898 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Junior RB Luke Yoder (5’11”, 205 lbs.) was a 2^nd Team All-Patriot League performer in 2024 and could be the best back that Yale will face all season. Yoder is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and racked up 173 rushing yards against Penn last week. Sophomore RB Jaden Green (5’9”, 185 lbs.) was a Freshman All-American last year and leads the Mountain Hawks with 5 rushing touchdowns. The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League and are ranked Top 5 nationally in rushing offense. Senior WR Geoffrey Jamiel (5’8”, 185 lbs.) is a very quick and polished route runner who has caught 32 passes for 457 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season. Junior WR Mason Humphrey (6’4”, 215 lbs.) poses a matchup problem for smaller cornerbacks and leads Lehigh in yards per reception at 16.8. Junior TE Joseph Marranca (6’1”, 240 lbs.) is a very effective run blocker who is occasionally targeted in the passing game. Lehigh’s offensive line averages 295.0 lbs. across the board and is an experienced unit that is exceptional in run blocking. Seniors Langston Jones (6’3”, 325 lbs.) and Aidan Palmer (6’4”, 300 lbs.) were 1^st and 2^nd Team All-Patriot League offensive linemen in 2024 respectively. The Mountain Hawks have surrendered just 2 sacks through 5 games. With Egodogbare seemingly out for the season with a knee injury, the Bulldogs will need career performances from our interior defensive linemen to disrupt the line of scrimmage. Ayo-Durojaiye and Grant will need to successfully fend off blocks and show gap integrity for any hopes of slowing down Yoder and Green in the ground game. If the Bulldogs can force the Mountain Hawks into passing situations, the pressure will be on the secondary to blanket Jamiel and Humphrey.

The ground game dominance for Lehigh extends to their defense as well as the defense is ranked third nationally in run defense allowing just 69.8 rushing yards per game. Senior LB Brycen Edwards (6’0”, 225 lbs.) has been a clutch performer for the Mountain Hawks and leads the defense with 36 tackles. Junior LB William Parton (6’0”, 220 lbs.) has been starting since his freshman season and is second on the team in tackles with 24. Tied for the team lead in sacks with 3 on the season is senior LB Tyler Ochojski (6’2”, 230 lbs.). Sophomore S Mekhai Smith (6’2”, 210 lbs.) has terrorized opposing quarterbacks with 4 interceptions on the season. Senior S Mason Moore (6’1”, 195 lbs.) had 8 tackles at Yale last season and has played very well with 22 tackles and 3 pass breakups. Senior DB Nick Peltekian (6’0”, 215 lbs.) was a 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection in 2024 but has been limited to just two games this season. The Mountain Hawks have a very stout defensive front led by senior DT TJ Burke (6’2”, 305 lbs.). Burke has 2.5 sacks on the season and was a 1^st Team All-Patriot League selection last year. Senior DE Matt Spatny (6’2”, 250 lbs.) is tied for the team lead in sacks with 3 and looks poised to earn a second straight 1^st Team All-Patriot League nod. Senior DE Dillon Sheehan (6’4”, 245 lbs.) has also been difficult for offensive lines to contain with 2.5 sacks. Yale’s offensive line will have their work cut out for them against a very talented front seven. Lehigh has not faced a back as talented as Pitsenberger but simple halfback dives up the middle will not gain yardage. Penn was able to expose weaknesses in pass coverage throwing for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Yale is able to open lanes in the run game, keep Lehigh off balanced and exploit holes in pass coverage, the Bulldogs will have a chance to upset the Mountain Hawks.

Senior K Nick Garrido (5’9”, 200 lbs.) is 5 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 35 yards this season. Sophomore P Connor Poole (6’3”, 200 lbs.) has been stellar with a 46.3-yard punting average with 7 punts placed inside the redzone. The Bulldogs will have to play especially disciplined on special teams as Lehigh faked a field goal last week and scored a touchdown on Penn that proved to be a backbreaker for the Quakers.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Mountain Hawks!