Grant Jordan ’25 and Dean Shaffer ’25 will be heading to the University of Massachusetts, David Pantelis ’25 will take his skills to Stanford, Tamatoa McDonough ’25 will be off to Iowa State, Sean Sullivan ’25 will be playing at Rice, Alvin Gulley ’25 will be heading to Northern Illinois University and Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye ’25 will be at the University of Maine. 

When the News asked Shaffer why he chose UMass, he said, “[it] feels like something special is building here, and I’m excited to be a part of it”. 

These seniors made a big impact on and off the field this season. Shaffer led the team as captain, while Jordan commanded the offense as the starting quarterback. Pantelis was the team’s star wide receiver, and McDonough, Sullivan and Gulley were all forces to be reckoned with on the line. Ayo-Durojaiye ended the season with 58 total tackles, demonstrating his effectiveness on the turf. 

Jordan told the News that he and Shaffer earning the same opportunity made his decision even better, as the two have spent the last five years side by side in New Haven.

“I wanted to play in the FBS and compete at the highest level of college football. UMass checked all the boxes I was looking for: an experienced coaching staff and an opportunity to compete. I was familiar with the Massachusetts area being at Yale in New England with buddies like Connor Smith and Sean Sullivan,” Jordan told the News.

Last year, the team had a handful of players who continued their collegiate careers after Yale. Under Head Coach Tony Reno, the Bulldogs have continued to build their depth and strength, and this senior class, in particular, had a solid presence in the program. Taking up almost all the core positions, the seniors led the team as a unit and left great examples for their younger teammates to follow in the coming seasons.

For Pantelis and many athletes who compete in the Ivy League, academics is an important factor in their college decisions, and this remained true for the wide receiver as he looked to compete as a graduate-transfer.  

Pantelis told the News, “I chose [Stanford] over Michigan and other schools as I believe that Stanford offers an opportunity similar to Yale in the sense of opportunity of life after school athletically and academically. Over my time at Yale, I enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded people who have a drive to succeed, along with the genuine people who make up Yale.”

Pantelis was one of the most sought-after wide receivers this year, receiving offers from top teams such as the University of Michigan. However, the star player landed on Stanford, an excellent program where he can continue participating in rigorous academic and athletic pursuits.  

While these are all the commitments announced during Yale’s winter break, players can still commit later in the school year as they move closer to graduation. The winter transfer portal closed on Dec. 28, however, graduate transfers are not bound by the same strict rules as underclassmen and can enter the portal anytime. 

Given the flexibility of this process, the remaining seniors may continue to enter the portal, especially after seeing the success of their seven teammates in securing positions. 

The Bulldogs concluded this season 7–3 total and placed fourth in the Ivy League after defeating Harvard in their last game of the season. 

The post FOOTBALL: Seven seniors announce graduate-transfer universities appeared first on Yale Daily News.

After defeating Harvard in this year’s playing of The Game, the Bulldogs had 11 players named to All-Ivy teams, and Josh Pitsenberger ’26 was named the captain of Team 152 for next season. 

Ivy Awards 

The Bulldogs had 10 All-Ivy award recipients coming from all over the field. Four players received First Team All-Ivy honors, including offensive lineman Michael Bennett ’26, defensive lineman Ejiroghene Egodogbare ’26, defensive back Abu Kamara ’27 and wide receiver David Pantelis ’25. There are no surprises here; Kamara and Pantelis have been stars, making big plays all season. The same can be said for Bennett and Egodogbare on the line. 

Three Bulldogs clinched Second Team All-Ivy honors, including offensive lineman Osize Daniyan ’27, defensive lineman Tamatoa McDonough ’25 and running back Pitsenberger. Once again, these three players have been named to watch all year. Pitsenberger picked up a couple of touchdowns against Harvard, and Daniyan brought that quarterback pressure while McDonough held the line.

The awards did not end there for the Bulldogs, with three seniors earning an Honorable Mention. These key players included defensive lineman Alvin Gulley Jr. ’25, quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 and offensive lineman Connor Smith ’25. All three seniors greatly impacted this season, with the unexpected star quarterback Jordan leading the way. 

Rounding out the awards, the Bulldogs have one All-Academic player, defensive lineman Jack Michalik ’25.  

Season Record + Yale–Harvard win 

In the Ivy Conference, the Bulldogs landed in fourth, climbing the ladder as the season progressed. The team showed their determination and grit right until the very last minute. 

The Bulldogs finished the season on a high note with a nail-biting win over the Crimson 34–29. This is their fourth consecutive win in the past six years — with two seasons canceled due to COVID-19 — and they managed to achieve it as the underdogs.

2025 Captain 

The most important offseason announcement was made at the team’s end-of-season banquet on Sunday after their win at Harvard. Running back Josh Pitsenberger was named the captain of Team 152.

“Being named captain is the greatest honor I’ve ever received,” Pitsenberger wrote to the News. “It shows that the team views me as an important member and trusts me to lead. It’s a position that comes with responsibility, and it’s now my role to prioritize and serve the team. We have an incredible group with excellent talent and character, and I’m excited to see what’s in-store for this program.”

Pitsenberger, a current junior from Bethesda, Maryland, has had a prolific career at Yale and will now step into the top leadership role on the team. In addition to his Second Team All-Ivy honor this season, Pitsenberger was the 2022 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, 2022 First Team All-Ivy and 2023 Second Team All-Ivy. 

As the Bulldogs enter their offseason training plan, it will be Pitsenberger’s job to lead the way back to the field for the 2025 season.

Seniors leaving 

The graduating class will leave Yale, winning three of four games against their Cambridge rivals and being two-time Ivy League Champions. While many will graduate and head into the professional world, some will be looking to transfer for their graduate years and continue playing.

Most notable have been the announcements by quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 and wide receiver David Pantelis ’25 that they will be entering the transfer portal. Both are sure to garner looks from other programs after stellar senior seasons, with Jordan having two seasons of eligibility left and Pantelis one season. 

Pantleis notched 901 receiving yards this season, the seventh-highest mark ever by a Bulldog in a single season.

The post FOOTBALL: Pitsenberger ’26 named Team 152 Captain, season recap for 2024 appeared first on Yale Daily News.

3:42 p.m.

In a nail-biting finish, Yale beats Harvard with a final score of 34–29. They’ve stopped Harvard from solely claiming the Ivy Championship. Yalies are currently rushing the field.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

3:35 p.m.

YALE WINS FINAL SCORE 34–29

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

3:30 p.m.

Harvard with a last-minute touchdown in the final 18 seconds of the game. Yale is still up by 5.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor and Spencer King ’25, Senior Reporter

3:19 p.m.

Nick Conforti ’26 with a 46-yard field goal, bringing the score to 34–23.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

2:49 p.m.

Number 98 Dylan Yang ’26 down with an injury, walked off the field but in bad shape after a tough play on the line.

— Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

2:45 p.m.

Josh Pitsenberger ’26 with a massive run starting with a catch on the left sideline ending with a touchdown on the right. Pitsenberger dodged three sets of tackles and kept his composure as he ran the ball 23 yards into the end zone.

— Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

2:40 p.m.

David Pantelis ’26 with a huge 31-yard catch in the fourth quarter. After concerns over whether or not he’d play today after a bad fall last weekend against Princeton, he seems to be roaring back.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

2:33 p.m.

During the Saybrook Strip, the Saybrook College tradition to strip during the fourth quarter, Harvard comes roaring back. Score now 24–15 with less than 15 minutes left in the game.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

2:10 p.m.

About 40 pro-Palestinian protesters on the Yale spectator side chanted “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest” during the last five minutes of half time. Some protesters wore keffiyehs and some held signs with letters spelling out “Books not bombs.” On Harvard’s side of the stadium, other protesters held up signs and chanted at the same time. 

— Nora Moses and Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporters

Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

2:15 p.m.

Abu Kamara ’26 with a pick six to put the bulldogs up 21-7 early in the third quarter.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor and Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

2:15 p.m.

Members of the Yale Marching Band have started cheering “take our glasses” from the sideline. Yale is still up 14–7.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor

1:20 p.m.

Grant Jordan ’25 to Josh Pitsenberger ’26 runs left to the end zone, putting the Bulldogs up 14–7 with three minutes left before halftime.

— Kaitlyn Pohly ’26, Sports Editor and Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

YuLin Zhen, Photography Editor

1:10 p.m.

Harvard throws deep to number 6 to tie up the game. Score now 7–7 going into the last 5 minutes of the half.

— Spencer King ’25, Senior Reporter and Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

12:41 p.m.

Grant Jordan ’25 throws 13-yard pass to Chase Nenad ’25 for the first touchdown of the game. Bulldogs up 7-0.

— Sienna Tejpaul ’27, Staff Reporter

Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

12:34 p.m.

University President Maurie McInnis predicted that The Game would be close, but that the Bulldogs will never give up and come out on top 34-31. She wrote to the News that she gave a pep talk to the team ahead of Saturday.

“I told them that thousands of football games are played across the country, but there is only one that is The Game,” McInnis wrote.

— Tristan Hernandez, Editor in Chief & President

Happy Game Day, Bulldogs!

At noon, the Yale football team (6–3, 3–3 Ivy) will look to pull off an upset against a heavily favored Harvard team (8–1, 5–1 Ivy) that is looking to end their season as sole champions of the Ivy League. 

Entering The Game, the Bulldogs will look to ride the momentum of two decisive victories against a Crimson team that has not lost a game since Sept. 28. Early indications seem to be that fans could be in for an offensive showdown, as the Bulldogs and Crimson are the two highest-scoring teams in the Ivy League, with Yale averaging 33.8 points per game and Harvard just behind at 33.0.

Despite the odds, Yale remains confident they can defeat their rivals to the north, with quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 saying simply, “Our best football hasn’t been played yet.”

You can check out a more in-depth preview of this year’s Yale-Harvard game.

The News will provide live updates here throughout The Game. Boola Boola!

The post Bulldogs bite back, beating Harvard 34–29 in their third-consecutive “The Game” victory appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Entering The Game, the Bulldogs will look to ride the momentum of two decisive victories against a Crimson team that has not lost a game since Sept. 28. Early indications seem to be that fans could be in for an offensive showdown, as the Bulldogs and Crimson are the two highest-scoring teams in the Ivy League, with Yale averaging 33.8 points per game and Harvard just behind at 33.0.

Despite the odds, Yale remains confident they can defeat their rivals to the north, with quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 saying simply, “Our best football hasn’t been played yet.”

Bulldogs & Underdogs

Purely based on their records, the Crimson are coming in with two more Ivy wins than the Bulldogs, but that will only fuel the fire as the Elis head up to Boston. The Bulldogs have suffered a couple of injuries this season and a few tough losses, but after each hardship, they’ve stood right back up and come back stronger. 

Captain Dean Schaffer ’25 commented on the tight bond of his team on Tuesday when he said, “When we started the season, it was always about the process. Tap into relationships, committing to those relationships. Never was the outcome a factor in that equation.”

Despite winning, last Saturday’s match-up against Princeton may have made the odds even longer for the Bulldogs. Two key players, David Pantelis ’25, the Bulldog’s star wide receiver, and Sean Guyton ’25, their shutdown cornerback, left the game with injuries in the first quarter. Head coach Tony Reno did not give any insight into their status for The Game, but hopefully, they will be taking the field and helping lead both the offense and the defense. 

From scout team to Team 151 star

Grant Jordan will lead the Bulldogs on offense on Saturday, a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who can do damage through the air and on the ground. The senior quarterback has been a star for Yale all season and will need another big game for the Bulldogs to pull off the upset. Despite his evident skill now, there was a chance Jordan would never get the opportunity to play in a game for the Bulldogs, let alone be the starter for The Game his senior year. 

Jordan has battled injuries for the bulk of his career at Yale, much of it coming after he had to undergo Tommy John surgery for an injury he sustained to his throwing arm. The injury took nearly a year and a half to rehab, but eventually, the quarterback came back on the field with the scout team and began to work his way towards what he is today. 

“I think just over time, I slowly got my confidence back,” Jordan said. “In practice getting reps. I think the fall of Team 149, I was on the scout team and that’s when I was really able to grow a lot and get my most confidence. I was able to go against such a great defense in practice everyday. I started seeing myself make the throws I used to make.”

After recovering from injury, Jordan entered this past offseason locked into a three-way quarterback battle for the starting job, which he eventually won. However, the hits just kept coming for Jordan, as on the very first drive of the season against Holy Cross, he was forced to exit with a concussion and would miss the next game. 

Once Jordan recovered, Reno and the coaching staff inserted him back into the starting role, and the offense ignited. During the season, the quarterback has completed 68 percent of his passes for more than 200 yards per game. Perhaps most importantly, he has shown an ability to make big plays while avoiding dangerous throws, having thrown 20 touchdowns on the season and only three interceptions. 

Without Pantelis, the Bulldogs may need to lean particularly on his running ability, something Jordan is more than comfortable doing as he averages over 35 rushing yards a game. 

Run Josh Run

With the status of their star wideout Pantelis uncertain, all heads turn to Yale’s other offensive favorite, Josh Pitsenberger ’26. The tough running back has been a force to be reckoned with all season, proving to be a stabilizing force for the Bulldogs when they need to grab those couple extra yards each down. 

Pitsenberger came up big last weekend against Princeton, securing 159 yards for 25 carries and scoring three touchdowns. He showed once again that he can handle a heavy workload for the offense and is a difficult player to shut down. This weekend should be no different, and fans should expect to see Pitsenberger smashing cracks in the Crimson line as he picks up first downs. 

On what is arguably Yale football’s largest stage, players either rise to the challenge or crumble under the pressure. Last year, Pitsenberger was the Bulldogs’ knight in shining armor, coming up with 99 yards as he led the charge alongside quarterback Nolan Grooms ’24. The unsung hero battling through the defensive line gave Yale several chances, which they capitalized on to put the ball in the endzone and come up with that exhilarating 23–18 win. 

Slowing the Crimson

Yale’s defense has been a rollercoaster this season. 2024 started a bit rocky on the defensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs as the team worked out the kinks in the first few games before turning into what has become a solid unit. 

The defense is predicated on forcing turnovers, which can flip any game on its head, no matter the pregame favorite. The Bulldogs have come up with ten interceptions and forced 11 fumbles, of which they recovered eight. All three of these metrics are top in the Ivy, and on the other side, Harvard has only caught five interceptions and forced three fumbles all season. 

With an active and hungry defense like Yale’s, anything can happen, and big plays can dictate the momentum of a game in seconds. If the Bulldogs come out swinging, fans can hope for numerous opportunities for the Yale offense to work with a short field after the defense forces a touchdown. 

Shipping up to Cambridge

This being an even-numbered year, The 140th Game will take place at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While it is an away game, the team’s leadership isn’t worried about making the trip. Jordan praised Captain Shaffer for his ability to prepare the team for every game this season, especially their final one.

“I speak for the team; there is no one more born for a role than Dean is for captain,” Jordan said. “I think that he’s done a tremendous job leading us, and we all love him.”

For Shaffer, The Game shouldn’t be treated any differently than any of the other nine the Bulldogs have played this season. No matter the venue, no matter the occasion, to Shaffer, the emphasis is always on the team.

Even if he can’t take the field due to injury, Shaffer still plays a massive role as the leader of Team 151 and sets the tone for how the Bulldogs approach every game. 

“There’s things you can control and things you can’t control, and one of those things you can’t control is the outside noise that comes with this game,” Shaffer said. “Don’t let the noise get into the circle; the guys on the sideline are going to win us this football game.” 

The message for the team is simple from their captain: take care of what you can control, and the winning will take care of itself. 

As for the message from their head coach about how to deal with playing an away game, that’s a bit simpler. 

“I’ll play it on 95,” said Reno. “Just stop the traffic, we’ll play.”

On that note, it’s time to let the Bulldogs do what they do best and take down the Crimson on their home turf. In fact, the Bulldogs have not lost at Harvard Stadium since 2014. 

The 140th rendition of The Game will be played at Harvard Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff of Yale football’s final game of the 2024 will be at noon and the game can be watched nationally on ESPNU. 

The post FOOTBALL: Yale heads North for 140th playing of The Game appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The name of the game for the Bulldogs was a powerful rushing attack that chewed up yards all day, led by running back Josh Pitsenberger ’26. Pitsenberger set a carry high of 159 rushing yards on 25 carries against the Tigers. The junior also scored three separate times, twice on the running touchdown and once on a short catch and run. 

Pitsenberger has made it a habit to terrorize the Tigers in his three years at Yale, going over 100 yards in each of the three games he has played against Princeton. In addition to his yardage, he also has a nose for the endzone when he sees the orange jerseys, scoring three touchdowns against the Tigers in 2023 and adding another in 2022. 

Adding on to Pitsenberger’s ground attack was the other man in the Yale backfield, quarterback Grant Jordan ’25. Jordan set a career rushing high of his own with 60 yards, critical on a day during which he only threw for 140 yards.

With the ground game churning out yards, Yale was happy to try to win an ugly game, something head coach Tony Reno commented on postgame.

“I was proud of my team for winning a rock fight,” Reno told Yale Athletics. “We knew we were going to be in the middle of a rock fight. We welcome it. We’re pretty good in rock fights.”

Helping the effort was a Yale pass rush that found its way home to the quarterback five times, a season high. Led by Tamatoa McDonough ’25 and his 2.5 sacks, the defense never let Princeton’s quarterback Blaine Hipa get comfortable, forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly.

Elsewhere in the Ivy League, Yale was being set up to play spoiler in their final game of the season next weekend against Harvard. Following a last-second field goal that gave Harvard a win over Penn, the Crimson claimed at least a share of the Ivy title.

That means that despite being out of championship contention, Yale still plays a massive part in deciding how the final standings will look. With the Crimson sitting atop the Ivy standings at 5–1, a pair of 4–2 teams, Dartmouth and Columbia, will be looking to the Bulldogs to help prevent Harvard from winning the championship alone. 

Harvard has not been the sole champion of the Ivy League since 2014, a feat the Bulldogs completed as recently as 2022.

The post FOOTBALL: Bulldogs defeat Tigers, climb to 3–3 in Ivy League appeared first on Yale Daily News.

While the Bulldogs are out of Ivy Championship contention, they can still climb the standings and end the season with a winning conference record if they win their final two games against Princeton and then Harvard. For now, though, the focus is squarely on the Tigers.

Taking care of business on defense

Saturday should provide an opportunity for the much improved Yale defense to flex their muscles against what has objectively been the worst offense in the Ivy League this season.

Princeton enters the game bottom of the conference in points per game (21.0), yards per game (260.4), rushing yards per game (96.5) and passing yards per game (163.9). With the Tigers trailing every other team by at least 100 total yards per game, the Bulldogs should be in for a big day.

In addition to limiting yards, the Yale defense will also certainly be looking to take the ball away any way they can. The Bulldogs’ defense has excelled at forcing turnovers this season and leads the Ivy League in interceptions, forced fumbles and fumbles recovered. 

All in all, the Yale defense has turned their opponents over 16 times, led by Joshua Tarver ’26 with three interceptions and Abu Kamara ’27 with three forced fumbles.

Feeding Pantelis the ball

Sometimes offensive play calling can be made very difficult, with coordinators working to scheme up complicated plays to move the ball down the field and put points on the board. Other times, it can be very simple, like it should be for the Yale coaches.

Getting the ball to David Pantelis ’25 should sum up much of the Yale offensive plan for the rest of the season as the senior wide receiver has exploded in his final year for the Bulldogs. Pantelis leads the Bulldogs in every relevant receiving stat, racking up more than 90 yards per game and scoring eight touchdowns so far this year. 

Whether on deep throws where he’s given the chance to track the ball and convert big yardage plays, or on short intermediate routes to pick up critical first downs, Pantelis has been the go-to player for the Bulldogs all season and needs to continue to be so in the final stretch of the season.

Pass protection dominance

Offensive lines don’t usually get much of the attention but this Yale line certainly deserves to. The offensive line for the Bulldogs has been one of the best in all of FCS football this season, tied for third in the nation in sacks allowed at only five on the season.

The Bulldogs offensive line has done an excellent job keeping quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 off the ground, giving receivers time to get downfield for the deep throws he has shown an ability to make this season. Without having to worry about getting hit by defenders, Jordan is able to keep his eyes downfield which is a big reason for his 67 percent completion percentage this season.

The final kickoff of the season at the Yale Bowl will be at noon on Saturday with the Bulldogs hoping to send the home crowd off with a good result against the Princeton Tigers.

The post FOOTBALL: Bulldogs to face Tigers in final home game of 2024 appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs was quarterback Grant Jordan ’25, who diced the Brown defense all day before finishing with 372 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air. He also showed off his dual-threat abilities with 34 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

The game showcased everything that has made Jordan one of the best quarterbacks in the Ivy League this season. From his touch on deep balls to his ability to gun passes into tiny openings, Jordan can make any throw on the field, and he showed that off on Saturday. 

Jordan’s six touchdown passes tied the Yale all-time game record set by Kurt Rawlings ’20 in 2019. It was also only the sixth time in Ivy League history that a quarterback has thrown six touchdown passes in a game. 

The other half of the Bulldogs’ lethal offensive duo, David Pantelis ’25, also had a game of a lifetime. Pantelis came out on fire, breaking his career record of receiving yards in just the first quarter. The wide receiver has been a standout for the Bulldogs all season, but yesterday, he proved what a gamebreaker he can be.

Pantelis had three touchdowns in the first quarter alone, diving into the endzone twice to secure six points for the Bulldogs. Pantelis and Jordan connected at every turn, resulting in 195 yards on the day for the wide receiver. We’ve seen this duo in action before, but their chemistry was unbeatable on Saturday. Once Jordan got into his rhythm, Brown couldn’t get close enough to touch him, while Pantelis was leaving his defenders in the dust, running long on several successful plays. 

The Bulldog defense matched their offense’s tenacity and came up with two interceptions in the first quarter alone. Brandon Webster ’27 and Osize Daniyan ’27 swiftly picked off these passes. Throughout the game, the defense continued anticipating Brown quarterback Jake Willcox’s throws, so even when they were completed, the Bulldogs were primed and ready to take them down immediately. 

Webster has been battling injuries all season, and in only his second game of the year, he came up with two interceptions, which has been a big part of the turnaround of the Yale secondary. Led by Webster’s two picks, the Bulldogs’ defense was opportunistic all day, forcing three interceptions and a fumble to turn Brown over and give extra possessions to their offense. 

Saturday was an extremely high-scoring game, but that’s been characteristic of the Bulldogs this year. Because of the performance of Jordan and his offensive unit, the defense got away with letting the Bears put up 34 points. Ending with 56 points on the board and an over 20-point lead, this was precisely what the Yale team needed to keep the motivation high as they attempted to finish their last Ivy matchups against Princeton and Harvard on top.  

The win continued a trend of Yale enjoying huge wins over Brown. The Bulldogs have won the last seven matchups against the Bears, and even more notable is that they’ve won those matchups by an average of more than 28 points. 

Next weekend will be the Bulldogs’ last home game of the season as they take on the Princeton Tigers. This marks their final match before the Bulldogs head to Boston for the highly anticipated Yale-Harvard game. Kickoff will be at noon at the Yale Bowl, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The post FOOTBALL: Jordan to Pantelis connection powers Yale over Brown 56–34 appeared first on Yale Daily News.

After keeping the Columbia (5–2, 3–1 Ivy) offense out of the endzone all night with 4:39 remaining in the game and the Bulldogs up 10–6, the Yale defense cracked. Columbia’s star wide receiver Bryson Canty hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass to give the Lions a 13–10 win.  

Columbia’s defense proved once again to be the best scoring defense in the Ivy League, as they held Yale to a third of their average 32 points per game.

Both quarterbacks struggled to gain yardage, with the Bulldogs’ Grant Jordan ’25 throwing 151 yards, and the Lions’ Cole Freedman only five yards ahead at 156. 

On the ground, Yale’s star running backs, Josh Pitsenberger ’26 and Tre Peterson ’25 ran for 52 yards and 48 yards on the day. This is significantly lower than we are used to seeing from the two.

Clearly, this was a battle between the defensive units as both teams managed to put heavy pressure on the opposing offense. 

The Yale defense played well most of the game, only allowing the one long touchdown. Especially stout was the pass defense for the Bulldogs that limited Columbia to only 156 passing yards on the night. 

The play of the day for the Bulldogs also came from the defense. After the Lions took their opening drive 79 yards to the Yale 11-yard line, defensive back Da’Quan Gonzales ’26 came up and forced a fumble that was then recovered by Abu Kamara ’27. Kamara has been a star for the defense all year and continued to fill the stat sheet with his first fumble recovery of the season.

The game was a bit of an oddity for the Bulldogs in 2024, as it has often been the offense carrying the team to the finish line while the defense struggles. Both sides of the ball have shown how strong Yale can be, but they’ll have to start playing complimentary football if they’re going to finish the season strong. 

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs have three games remaining, facing off against Brown (3–4, 2–2 Ivy), Princeton (2–5, 1–3 Ivy) and then Harvard (6–1, 3–1 Ivy). 

The Bulldogs are returning to the Yale Bowl this Saturday as they enter the final stretch of the season. Kickoff is at noon and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

The post FOOTBALL: Bulldogs fall to Lions in defensive battle appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The Bulldogs are coming off a solid win against Lehigh, which should give them the confidence they need to hit the ground running on Friday night. This season, the Bulldogs have shown their ability to perform in both a passing offense and, more recently, a running offense. This should make the Quakers’ game planning more difficult and give the Bulldogs room to get creative in their play calling. 

Last week, running backs Josh Pitsenberger ’26 and Tre Peterson ’25 ran for a total of 166 yards, and the week before that, quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 threw 412 yards against Dartmouth. These stats are promising for the Bulldogs as they head into Friday’s competition with several offensive strategies available.  

Defensively, the Bulldogs have been struggling to keep points low. The unit gave up 44 points against Dartmouth and 21 points against Lehigh in their past two games. However, the Bulldog defense has been able to come up with some big plays recently, including four forced turnovers against Lehigh. 

Looking towards Friday, the Bulldogs should continue to make these momentum-shifting plays and tighten up their defense to give their offense as many opportunities to put the ball in the endzone as possible. 

For the Quakers, the offense features their star running back Malachi Hosley. Hosley leads the Ivy League in rushing yards per game with 117 and is tied for first with five rushing touchdowns. Hosley has been the bright spot of a Penn offense that has struggled in the early part of the season, averaging just under 23 points per game. 

One way the Quakers will look to spark offense is in the kick return game, with the electric return specialist Julien Stokes. Stokes missed all of last season but was a First Team All-Ivy specialist in 2022. In his return to action this season, Stokes has picked up right where he left off, leading the Ivy League with 30.6 yards a return.

On defense, the Quakers have struggled against the pass this season. Penn allows opposing quarterbacks to complete an average of 68.4 percent of their passes for over 283 yards a game. 

The game is sure to feature fireworks, with both teams better offensively than defensively and equally hungry for an Ivy League win. Additionally, as part of the Ivy League’s deal with ESPN, the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

The game will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday night in Philadelphia.

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The win was a full team effort with the Bulldogs performing well in all three game phases. 

After being driven by the passing game in the loss last week against Dartmouth, the Yale running game was the story for the offense this time around. Starting running back Josh Pitsenberger ’26 gained 68 yards on 12 carries on the day while Tre Peterson ’25 also got 12 carries but for 98 yards. Much of Peterson’s total came from an explosive 57-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Even the quarterback, Grant Jordan ’25, helped out, with 55 yards on the ground. All three scored a touchdown against the Mountain Hawks. 

While it was good for Bulldog fans to see the running game going, Yale’s biggest question all season has been the defense. Saturday marked the fifth time this season that the Bulldogs have allowed more than 21 points, but the game did show a possible blueprint for the rest of the season.

Despite yielding 372 yards to the Mountain Hawks, the Bulldogs defense forced four turnovers to get off the field in tough spots. Leading the way was Joshua Tarver ’26 who had two interceptions on the day to bring his season total to three in a four-way tie for the top of the Ivy League. 

Safety Abu Kamara ’27, the leading tackler in the Ivies, also continued his strong season with a forced fumble early in the third quarter. 

The play of the day also came from the defense. Da’Quan Gonzales ’26 recorded his first career touchdown on a 53-yard pick-six in the first quarter to put Yale up 14–3. 

Another bright spot for Bulldogs was the success and consistency of Nick Conforti ’26, the starting kicker, who struggled last game against Dartmouth. Conforti was given some long opportunities against the Big Green and couldn’t put up the points, but this Saturday was a different story. He made six successful kicks, five for the extra point after a touchdown and one field goal from 31 yards. 

Next Friday, the Bulldogs will head to the University of Pennsylvania to face the Quakers in their third Ivy League matchup of the season. The Bulldogs are currently 0–2 in Ivy League play, so this is an important game for them to shift the momentum and start coming home with some conference wins. 

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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