Yale Bowl
Columbia Lions (5-1) at Yale Bulldogs (3-3)
Kickoff: 12 noon
Gametime Weather Forecast: 66 degrees with rain and wind. Rain should end by halftime
The Line: Yale is favored by 1 1/2 points
TV/Radio: The game is available on ESPN+
Leading Storylines
1) The Lions earned everyone's attention with the 19-0 stunner of a win at previously undefeated Dartmouth last week. Now, they will have to prove they deserve the attention, albeit again as an underdog at Yale.
2) Which Yale team will show up? Will it be the mostly defensive-minded Elis, who slogged it out vs. Holy Cross, Dartmouth, and UConn, or the run and gun Elis who just won a shootout of sorts vs. Penn?
3) The weather plays tricks on games at Yale Bowl more than almost any other football venue I can think of. If the winds remain strong throughout the game, it could really turn the whole contest upside down.
Key Lions to Watch
-It seems like this game could be tailor-made for RB Ryan Young if a wet field makes it harder for outside running and better for an inside banger like him. Remember the ugly conditions at Wien Stadium three years ago played a role in Young's big game in a win for the Lions over Yale.
-DBs Jordan Colbert and Seth Parker will likely have to step things up as senior S and team leader Ben Mathiasmeier will have to sit out for the 1st half due to the targeting call against him at Dartmouth. If LB Justin Woodley is indeed able to play, he will also be asked to fill Mathiasmeier's void.
-WR/Returner Mike Roussos is starting to show signs of getting back to his game-breaking self. If WR Wills Meyer is out again for this game, Roussos becomes a more important part of the pass game.
Key Bulldogs to Watch
-QB Nolan Grooms had a super first career start last week. Can he make it two in a row?
-DL Clay Patterson leads the Ivies in sacks and he looks to add to his lead.
-WR Mason Tipton is looking like Grooms' favorite target.
7 comments:
I think we're in for a real battle tomorrow, pace Tod Howard Hawks and others with similarly Panglossian prognostications. :)
Agree. Yale is a good football team with, as Jake says, a significant home field advantage in the Bowl.
During Captain’s Corner the captains said that the visiting team facilities are the worst in the IL; terrible locker room far from the field and real issues with half time meeting room, which is basically an open area under the visiting stands.
Reminded me painfully of the Harvard game in 2017 when they turned it over four times in the first half and we scored once. Then Harvard stormed back and we lost a chance at an Ivy title. Similar feel, we dominate the first half but give up the punt return and then they play so much better in the second half. Grooms is a terrific QB and their wides are great athletes. While it's easy to focus on the DBs, I thought QB decision-making on third down also hurt. You can't throw it four yards short of the first down marker every time and hope someone makes a play. We were 4-19 on third down. We did a lot of things well against a good team but all year we've left points on the field and this time it bit us in the neck.
It’s always disappointing to lose but to do so because you were outcoached makes it more painful.
Starting with the OC: The game plan going in may have been sound but once the game started, the play calling was subpar. And this might have made the difference between a W and L.
To start off, the OC still couldn’t resist throwing quick horizontal passes. I think there were 6 of them for a total of about 6 yards. Moreover, several of them came in the midst of crucial drives and ended up hurting the team. ( e.g. Right after we recovered muffed punt snap on their 23 yd line). These plays have never worked yet he keeps on calling them.
He kept throwing deep when shorter passes were in order. To make matters worse, how many times did he throw to Roussos who was continually covered by the DB like a glove. It seems clear that 23 just doesn’t have that breakaway speed to beat those talented DBs. But that didn’t stop Fabish. Considering that Green was under s lot of pressure too and had to rush some of these throws, made these calls worse.
To combat the Yale pass rush, a few draw plays or traditional screen plays might have worked. But we never run those plays. Why not? Every team from Peewees to the pros do, but not our OC. And we needed help yesterday as the Yalepass rush was very good.
Putting in Hollingsworth at the Yale 23 yd line was also questionable, especially since Green was doing a decent job. And Hollingsworth ran the only 2 plays he has at his disposal —for naught. He fooled nobody. If you’re gonna put him in there give him some additional options- roll outs, bootlegs, short passes. And yanking him after just 2 plays made no sense. If you have confidence in him, give him a chance to succeed. And not putting him in when we had a first and goal at the five when he’s supposed to be our wildcat QB was questionable. Isn’t that supposed to be his role.
Maybe this may seem like nitpicking to some , but to me it continues to reveal a lot more about the OC as both a strategist and tactician- neither complimentary.
On the defensive side, after blitzing and stunting in 1H which were working, we played the straight vanilla 4-3 for much of 2H and got killed especially because we couldn’t generate a pass rush with the front four alone. Time and tine again their WRs beat us deep. Why didn’t the DC make any adjustments. On this same note, how could our DBs continue to line up so close to the WRs on the line of scrimmage when they were getting beat deep all day. They should’ve played off more so they could have kept these guys from getting behind them deep. This is on the coaches not the players.
We’ll need a sound game plan and sound play calling against Harvard to win. And I’m not exactly confident this will happen.
To paraphrase Bill Parcells, “we are, who we are”.
Last week in Hanover, we were 2 for 15 on third down.
Fortunately, the Defense, was superhuman.
Productivity on First and Second downs has been marginal all year.
For weeks, going back to New Britain, there was an inability to score touchdowns once in the Red Zone. You need two field goals to equal one touchdown.
After rooting for the Lions, I guess one has to root for Dartmouth to beat Princeton and Harvard to beat Yale.
Small consolation that you shutout the Ivy League Co-Champion in their stadium. What could have been?
A pretty sickening feeling.
I hate the Wildcat.....Especially when you are far from the goal line...OK at best near the goal line but can't we throw at or near the goal line OR run as in two possibilities...How about Yale's 2 point conversions? Air Grooms...Who came up with the idea, running it from so far out?
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