Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs earned their first win of the season knocking off the Morgan State Bears 45-3 on Saturday at the Bowl. Yale improved to 1-2 on the season and gained much needed momentum heading into a tough contest at Dartmouth. 

The first quarter was a rough one for the Yale offense as the traditional rushing attack was stymied and the Bulldogs were forced to rely on carries by Grooms to move the ball downfield. Yale was able to get into the redzone on its first possession before the drive stalled and the field goal attempt was blocked. The Bears stuffed the Bulldogs on their second offensive possession and then strip sacked Grooms on the Bulldogs’ third possession. Given the final score of the contest, it’s hard to imagine that this was a tight 0-0 contest heading into the second quarter. On Yale’s first possession of the second quarter, two long runs from Grooms moved Yale into the redzone again but the Bulldogs were unable to punch it into the endzone and were forced to settle for a field goal after a false start moved them back from the 1-yard line. Everything seemed to click for the Yale offense from that point as Grooms threw a beautiful 31-yard touchdown pass to Tipton and later drove 66 yards in 6 plays to go up 17-3 at the half. Morgan State had no answers for Yale in the second half as Grooms found Tipton open for a 33-yard passing score and never looked back adding an additional two offensive scores for five total offensive touchdowns on the day. Grooms was magnificent in the contest finishing 29 of 38 on passing attempts for 363 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. Our fearless QB was also the leading rusher with 9 carries for a whopping 87 yards or 9.7 yards per carry. Peterson and Alston had limited productivity once again combining for just 34 yards on 14 carries. The offensive line struggled to open rushing lanes for much of the contest but were solid in pass blocking only allowing a single sack. Tipton had a magical day with 9 receptions for 136 yards receiving with 2 touchdowns. Lindley and Felton both had huge days combining for another 12 catches and two touchdowns. The offensive staff did a great job with the play calling in the 2nd quarter and beyond to keep Morgan State off balance. Grooms spread the ball around with Hawes, Yates, Shipp, Alston and Peterson in the mix in the passing game. 

The defense finally put together a performance to be proud of. There was yet another new starting defensive lineup with Shaber now starting alongside Gulley at DT and Patterson and McDonough at DEs. Patterson was a problem for Morgan State all day and was far more impactful than his 2 tackles and a sack on the stat sheet would indicate. Larry had the best contest of his career at Yale also adding a sack. Baker started at LB alongside Vaughn and Moore. Moore bounced back with a solid performance highlighted by an interception. Vaughn also intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to cap off the scoring for the afternoon. The secondary lineup remained the same as last week with Owens and Webster at CBs and Tarver and Daniyan at safeties. There are still cracks in the pass defense, but the tackling has improved and the blatant mental mistakes have decreased. Freshman Abu Kamara was very impressive displaying rare speed and explosiveness when tested at safety. Morgan State was limited to just 2.4 yards per carry and their quarterbacks combined for a 50% completion ratio with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The defense really stepped up on 3^rd and 4^th downs as Morgan State was just 5 of 17 on 3^rd downs and 0 of 2 on 4^th downs. This was a great step forward for the defense as Dartmouth will be challenging to contain in Hanover.

Bosman was 1 of 2 on field goal attempts, but in his defense, the snap on the blocked field goal was high and altered his rhythm. He had a great day punting the ball averaging 42.0 yards per punt.  

The Bulldogs fell to the Big Red on Saturday in a disappointing 21-23 contest to open the Ivy season. Yale is now 0-2 heading into another tough game versus Morgan State.

While the poor weather conditions were a factor, the offense never quite found the consistency needed to secure a win. The offensive line was unable to control the linebackers in the run game and struggled against the blitzes and stunts in pass blocking. There were flashes of Grooms’ dominance, but Cornell was able to neutralize him as he finished with just 129 passing yards (38.9% completion rate), 76 rushing yards, 2 passing TDs, and an interception. Much of the blame lies with the offensive coaching staff who have failed to put Grooms in good positions on short and medium passing plays. Far too often the offense fell into the stale rhythm of seasons past with short runs up the middle and low probability shots downfield to stall drives. The running back duo of Peterson and Alston did not find much success against a stingy front seven of Cornell. Pitsenberger was sorely missed in the running game as was Pantelis in the passing game. Tipton and Nenad made the most out of their targets each with a long touchdown reception. The Grooms to Tipton touchdown on 4th and 20 was a phenomenal play that will be overshadowed by the loss. The offense still has the pieces in place to succeed but the mental mistakes and poor play calling need to be cleaned up with haste.

The starting defensive line was shuffled with Jordan and Gulley at defensive tackles and Patterson and McDonough at ends. The defense had a strong showing on the first drive capped off by a nice stop by McDonough on 3^rd down. Cornell was able to expose cracks in the defense on the second drive as they marched downfield methodically before a jarring hit from Vaughn forced a fumble that Yale recovered. Patterson played well but no other defensive lineman has become an every-down nuisance for opponents. Egodogbare appeared to be suited up on the sidelines, so hopefully his return can be expected at some point this season. Vaughn led in tackles with 12 and was a bright spot for the defense. Moore has had a rough start to a season in which he was expected to dominate. Baker made a few nice plays splitting time with Ayo-Durojaiye. The secondary was picked apart once again and became thinner with an injury to Hickey that left him on crutches. Freshman Brandon Webster filled in for Hickey and was no match for Cornell’s talented wideouts. Guyton or Da’Quan Gonzales would have seemed to be natural replacements for Hickey if healthy. The safety position seemed to be in constant flux with Reno assessing various athletes such as Daniyan, Haaland and Joseph Gonzales in the wake of Benn’s injury in Week 1. Tarver will need to show massive improvement at the other safety slot to build the defense’s confidence. Yale will not win contests with receivers slicing through the secondary and backs cutting through wide rushing lanes. Only two of eleven starters on defense, Patterson and Vaughn, have performed close to expectations thus far into the season.

Bosman missed two critical field goals that could have swayed the contest in Yale’s favor. This was truly a team loss with the offense, defense, and special teams all failing to perform.

The Bulldogs fell to the Crusaders 24-49 in a disappointing opener in front of roughly 5,000 dedicated fans at the Bowl.

The offense came out firing on all cylinders with big holes paved for Pitsenberger and ample pass protection provided for Grooms to work through the ground or air. The starting offensive line consisted of Amegadjie at LT, Sullivan at LG, Durand at C, Mendoza at RG, and Session at RT. Tipton, Lindley and Shipp started at WRs with Hawes at TE. Notable offensive players we did not see included Alston and Pantelis. The early offensive line play was very encouraging with the Bulldogs getting great movement against the Crusaders’ front. Peterson racked up 95 yards on 17 carries while Grooms and Pitsenberger added another 68 and 36 rushing yards respectively. Grooms finished 12 of 17 for 112 yards and a TD in the passing game. The offense was fairly crisp in the first half and if it weren’t for an illegal man downfield penalty, could have put the Bulldogs into position to be tied with the Crusaders heading into halftime. The second half was a different story for the offense as mental mistakes piled up and Holy Cross’ superior conditioning became evident. The ground attack stagnated with defenders running free into the backfield and Grooms made mistakes under pressure. The pieces are in place for a high level of offensive success this season, but the errors will need to be cleaned up in a hurry heading into league play.

While the offense showed its promise early on, the defense struggled from the very first snap with Coker catching a 37-yard bomb from Sluka. Holy Cross moved the ball at will as Yale failed to control the line, set the edges, cover wideouts or wrap up ball carriers. The starting defensive ends, Larry and McDonough, combined for only 3 tackles and aside from the occasional pressure from Patterson, the defensive line was ineffective in closing gaps and rushing the passer. Safety was an area of concern heading into the season and has become even more worrisome following the loss. Benn started alongside sophomore Josh Tarver and the duo struggled mightily against the talented Crusaders. Benn was injured and sported a sling on the sideline as freshman Osize Daniyan filled in for a rude awakening in his first collegiate snaps. Owens and Hickey started at the corner positions and did not play up to their expectations, appearing to be a step out of position on passing plays and did not display their typical physicality. Growing pains were expected for the defensive line and secondary, yet the linebackers had no excuse for the poor play. Vaughn led in tackles with 10 although many tackles were downfield. Moore and Ayo-Durojaiye were bullied by Holy Cross’ line as they failed to shed blocks, missed tackles, and were effortlessly dragged for additional yardage. Shoring up the defense is the main priority this week when the Big Red come to town.

Bosman had a nice day averaging 47 yards per punt and was perfect on his 3 PATs as well as his single field goal attempt from 29 yards out.

The #5 ranked Holy Cross Crusaders visit the Bowl on Saturday in Yale’s season opener. Kickoff is set for noon and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Expect windy conditions with gusts up to 25 miles per hour.

Holy Cross enters the contest with a 1-1 record after falling to Boston College by 3 points in a thrilling contest that came down to Holy Cross’ final offensive possession. Holy Cross dominated Merrimack in their season opening victory 42-20.

Back in control of the offense is senior QB Matthew Sluka (6’3”, 216 lbs.) who has terrorized teams on the ground and through the air over the years. Sluka posted 131 rushing yards with 2 rushing touchdowns and 130 passing yards (66.7% completion percentage) against an FBS opponent this past weekend. The Yale defense has possibly its toughest test of the season squaring off against a top FCS quarterback with a deep veteran core. Junior RB Jordan Fuller (6’0”, 231 lbs.) is a load to bring down with surprising speed. Fuller put together two tremendous performances to start the season with 120 rushing yards and 5 TDs in the win over Merrimack followed by 109 rushing yards and 2 TDs in the loss to BC. 1st Team All-Patriot League WR Jalen Coker (6’3”, 213 lbs.) is back and off to a hot start with 21.0 yards per reception. As talented as the skill position players are for the Crusaders, the offensive line could be the strength of the team. All starting offensive linemen have prior starting experience in 2022 or prior and 4 of 5 have garnered All-Patriot League honors. Senior LT Luke Newman (6,4”, 310 lbs.) could be the best of the bunch and was named 1st Team All-American by several publications. The Crusaders had no trouble opening holes against Boston College and will really test our defensive ends. Senior TE Sean Morris (6’4, 250 lb.) is yet another option for Sluka and hauled in a 20-yard grab against the Elis a year ago.

Holy Cross has a disciplined defense headlined by LB Jacob Dobbs (6’0”, 237 lbs.) who has racked up 36 tackles in 2 games and was named a preseason All-American. Junior LB Frankie Monte (6’0”, 233 lbs.) started 8 contests a year ago and forms a formidable corps with Dobbs. Senior CB Devin Haskins (6’3”, 209 lbs.) is the star of the secondary for Holy Cross as another All-American candidate and posted 8 tackles last week versus BC. Another large CB for the Crusaders is senior Terrence Spence (6’2”, 200 lbs.) who had an interception versus the Bulldogs last season and had an impactful day against the Eagles with 5 tackles, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. The safety position is relatively inexperienced for Holy Cross with freshman Stu Smith (6’1”, 198 lbs.) starting and junior Jake Jarmolowich (6’2”, 200 lbs.) returning with just a single start in 2022. The Crusaders’ defensive line could be the weakest unit for the squad with only one full-time starter returning from a year ago in senior DT Dillon Springer (6’2”, 281 lbs.). Besides Springer, senior DL Brian Vaganek (6’4”, 263 lbs.) started just one game due to injury in 2022 and the other starters are a freshman and a sophomore with no prior collegiate experience. This presents a favorable matchup for our offensive line, particularly the interior of the offensive line, as Grooms adjusts to a new center and the line makes early season adjustments. Given the overwhelming talent on the offensive side of the ball for Holy Cross, the Bulldogs will need to score quickly and often to stay in the hunt for a victory. Controlling the line of scrimmage and getting blockers on Dobbs need to be the focal points of our preparation.

Sophomore K Luis Palenzuela (6’0”, 201 lbs.) has been perfect on 10 PATs but has yet to attempt a field goal this season. Senior P Patrick Haughney has started since 2020 and has averaged 40.8 yards per punt over his career.

Go Bulldogs!

Here are our preseason rankings excluding the favored Elis:

Princeton– QB Stenstrom is the best pure passer in the league and while the Tigers suffered losses at RB and WR, they have a long history of reloading at those positions. Princeton graduated two All-Ivy offensive linemen but return with LT Jalen Travis (6’7”, 300 lbs.) who is drawing interest from NFL scouts. Surace has enough talent on defense with 1st team All-Ivy LB Liam Johnson returning among several others to make Princeton the top contender.

Dartmouth– Injuries hampered the Big Green in 2022 but they return a bruising 1^st Team All-Ivy QB and will be playing with more emotion than any squad this year in the wake of Teevens’ spinal injury. Reliable WR Paxton Scott is back along with four of five starting offensive linemen. The defense returns three solid fifth year players and the league leader in tackles in LB Macklin Ayers. Dartmouth was plays away from knocking off Ivy foes such as Yale last year and will get back on track if they stay healthy. 

Harvard– DT Thor Griffith could be the best defender in the league and if Murphy can develop a talented QB, the sky is the limits for the Crimson. 1^st Team All-Ivy TE Tyler Neville returns along with two offensive linemen that garnered All-Ivy awards in Jacob Rizy and Austin Gentle. Junior WR Ledger Hatch is a lanky target with high expectations this season. Senior DE Nate Leskovec is a two-time All-Ivy honoree that will forge a stiff defensive front with Griffith. This is a squad that should be ranked atop the league on paper, but Murphy and staff have been unprepared and outcoached too many times to ignore in recent years. Will Harvard’s Athletic Director move on if Murphy can’t win a title this season?

Penn– No team dominated the trenches against the Bulldogs last year like the Quakers. QB Aidan Sayin is back along with Penn’s leader in touchdown receptions from a year ago, WR Josh Casilli. Priore might be getting on a roll again after several disappointing years prior to 2022. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Priore’s squad led by Justin Watson pounded Yale in a haunting Friday night game at the bowl. The top five teams (Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn) all seem to be very close in potential and one lucky bounce of the ball could decide the season. 

Columbia– Bagnoli has stepped aside for an administrative role at Columbia due to health concerns. While Penn had a very accomplished assistant waiting in the wings in Priore, the Lions are not as fortunate relying on Mark Fabish to lead them into a tough Ivy schedule. They do have some pieces in place to make it interesting such as DE Justin Townsend who had 6 sacks in 2022 and QB Caden Bell who started the final 5 contests, but it will take a monumental effort for the Lions to beat a squad like the Tigers.

Brown– The Bears had several close Ivy losses and even beat the Quakers before the season unraveled versus the Bulldogs. Another full recruiting cycle and off-season should do wonders for the Bears, but the league will still outpace them in talent. QB Jake Willcox is back after seven starts in 2022 and WR Wes Rockett is easily a top 5 WR across the league. A much improved defense could move Brown closer to the middle of the league standings.

Cornell— Shifty QB Jameson Wang is back but so is Head Coach David Archer. The Big Red finished 5-5 last season, the best record for them since 2005. Returning the starting QB in Wang, their best defender from 2022 in LB Jake Stebbins, 6 offensive linemen with starting experience and a very talented CB in Paul Lewis III should boost them higher on this list, yet outside of contests versus Columbia and Brown, it’s hard to envision the Big Red competing in a very difficult division this year.