Yale was down quite a few playmakers in Saturday’s 28-17 loss to Penn and it showed.
QB Henry Furman, RB Tyler Varga, WR Chris Smith all missed Saturday’s game, along with LB Andrew Larkin.
Tony Reno continues to list all as “day-to-day” and is unsure who, if any, will play against Columbia this weekend. He added, none of the injuries are season ending.
“We’ll find out much more at the end of the week,” Reno said. “We have to wait and see, see what they can do in practice.”
UPDATE: Varga (foot) did not practice. Smith did some light running on the sideline. Furman and Larkin practiced.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Yale had three turnovers over its first three games, which were all wins. Over the last three, which were all losses, the Bulldogs have had 11.
Coincidence? Probably not.
Of the 14, nine have been on fumbles.
“Turnovers have been killing us,” Reno said. “They keep you from achieving your potential and we’re a team that has doesn’t have much of a margin for error. That’s the difference in a win or a loss.”
As for the fumbling issues, specifically?
“It’s a matter of ball security and making sure your pads are down when you’re going through areas where you’re going to get hit with a helmet to the ball or a shoulder to the ball. It’s just a rash of turnovers we need to stop.”
UNDER CENTER
Clemson-transfer Morgan Roberts got his first start at QB against Penn. He struggled early on, but Reno said he got better as the game went on. Reno added there were no thoughts of benching Roberts for sophomore Eric Williams at any point.
Roberts finished 20 of 34 for 193 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
“Morgan had a great week of practice and we felt if we stayed with him, he’d come around and he did,” Reno said. “Eric has done a nice job, too. At that point, depth-chart wise, it was Morgan’s game to play. It’s a learning experience, a growing opportunity for him.“
LOOKING AHEAD
The Bulldogs will look to snap their three-game losing streak at home on Saturday against Columbia (0-6). The Lions have a very aggressive defense and one of the best front sevens Yale will see this season. They are big and stout up front, and can take away the run. Like Yale, Columbia has a young defense.
Offensively, the Lions are averaging a dismal 7.5 ppg. They do have a talented RB in Marcorus Garrett, which is one of the few bright spots for Columbia’s offense. He’s averaging 5 ypc. The Lions have played three QBs this season. Columbia had high hopes for Stanford-transfer QB Brett Nottingham, but he went down with a season-ending injury in Columbia’s opener.
LAST SEASON
Depleted at QB, Yale turned to Varga and the wildcat against Columbia last season. He rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns, but fumbled with a three-point lead with just over 2 minutes left. Columbia went on to win 26-22. Yale leads the series 68-19-2.
MULTI-TALENTED
Spenver Rymiszewski has showed promise as a starting DB for the Bulldogs.
He’s a pretty good piano player, too.
Rymiszewski is a winner of the prestigious National Fraternity of Student Musicians Piano Auditions. He’s been playing since kindergarten, though he stopped through his senior year of high school to concentrate on football. He hopes to start again.
Furthermore, his father Phil played football at Army for two seasons before an off-the-field injury ended his career. Yale will host Army next season.
“It’s going to pretty exciting,” he said. “He will still root for me, but I know deep down he’ll be cheering for Army.”
The missing players with injuries having an impact is the understatement of the year. Roberts did not get better in the second half which included two interceptions on horrible passes and a number of ground balls to open recievers. It is time to go to the bullpen and give Williams or Scott a shot.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about the coaching decisions and the ability of this coach to be a winner. Our only wins are against teams that have combined records of 7-15. This is not what we should accept as a standard for such a storied program. He is currently in line to go 4-6 or 5-5, the latter of which was the record that had the previous coach fired.
ReplyDeleteHave more players quit recently?
problem is not the players there is talent out there on the field. It's the coaching our OC has absolutely no imagination and no play calling ability it's as if his play book consists of 4 plays including his favorite the bubble screen one back at all times in the back field? if its a run and not a QB keeper I wonder who has it? That's not difficult for a defense to figure out! If your QB is not on his game you adjust however that might be less passing? shorter passes or rotating in another guy. On the defensive side there are some huge talents on the field again coaching, many times guys are getting double teamed off the line and nothing is done to combat that so many time our LB'S are double teamed and taken out of the play and nothing done... no stunts no pressure from safety's nothing and we have all seen the results. When your DB'S are getting eaten up for long yardage and TD'S 3 ,4 times in a game maybe it's time to give someone else a try by rotating a few guys in and out,certainly that wouldn't hurt. It is the coaches job to help the players do their job. our coaches have failed BIG there. At the end of the day the buck stops with Reno its time he starts firing these guys before they get him fired!
ReplyDelete8:05: Tom Williams wasn't fired for having a 5-5 record.
ReplyDeleteJust to refresh your memory:
Carm Cozza: 1st season 3-6 2nd Season 4-5 3rd season: 8-1
Jack Siedlecki: 1st season 2-8 2nd season 6-4 3rd season 9-1
Patience, my man.
I love to see the comments that list the records of the past coaches. That was then this is now, Different coaches different team different kids. who's to say that the current team is not more talented than the teams of past. If Carm or Jack were the coach today where would the team be? how would they be performing? something we will never know. But stop about the coaches of past, what matters is the now.
ReplyDeleteAgree with above: difficult to compare past Yale coaches, but will add that the Ivy League is a coach's league. There is a fairly even talent pool among most of the teams and the schools with the better coaches win. The jury is still out on the current Yale coach, but some of his decisions at cruch time have been baffling.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, we should beat Columbia thie weekend....
This team has talent. Not extreme talent but talent none the less. The QB position is the big question mark. I just don't see the QB fundamentals that are required to execute efficiently. What is the problem. To me it looks like the offensive co-ordinator. We are into game six now and all the messy stuff should have been ironed out four games ago. If your QB has a fundamental problem executing a given play/pass you need to address this right away not just keep doing the same thing. It could be a foot work issue, it could be a body/ball position issue, it could be a throwing motion issue, it could be a vision issue, it could be a progression issue, it could be a pre snap read issue, it could be a physical limitation issue (in which case you need to design the play/s differently, it could be a spacing issue (alignment/routs/backfield), it could be a line sink issue or it could be a combination of these. Since these things are not being fixed and the offense (other than the line play)looks like a mess, the the blame falls directly on the shoulders of the offensive co-ordinator. Incompetence in not recognizing the problems and doing something about them. There are a lot of knowledgeable people in the stands that know what is going on, can't fool them. I think its time to take a listen to a few? Morris, are you listening or are you going to turn this in to another UMass failure?
ReplyDeleteLet's face it Reno keeps saying the team is young, and they are making mistakes costing Yale wins. It is only young because that's what he wants - freshman and sophmores - his recruits. Young players have a tough time learning the offense at the QB spot especially and on the defense - the offenses are high flying track meets. The other coaches in the league are taking advantage of the Yale kids who are not sure what they are doing on the field and for some, it may not click this year or next. That's why the successful teams in this league year in and year out (Penn, Harvard, Brown) have systems that places emphasis on using upper classman who have classwork under control and have been in the league long enough to really understand how to make adjustments on the fly. They understand the entire offensive playbook, what teams are doing on offense to confuse Yale's defense, and it must be nice for opposing teams that Yale's defense does not conceal what it's doing. So, Yale should beat Columbia, and we will feel better for one week. I just hope that Reno will allow some of the upper classman to help the "young guys" on the field.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when you hire a head coach who has never even been a coordinator before.
ReplyDeleteI said playing guys who only had fall practice (Freshman) was a mistake weeks ago. Even if they are better athletes, they are not in general mentally prepared to play. They have not had time to digest the playbook, learn their other teammates on the field.
Also I agree about playing his guys. Anyone notice that Vaughn is still not the starter on the official 2 deep on the latest emailed release? Look at how he is performing. Is there anyone that really believes Larkin, a Reno recruit was ever better than Vaughn? Reno has been trying to bury Vaughn on the depth chart with his guys since he showed up last year. I can tell you the same things Vaughn is doing this year he could have done 85% of that last year if Reno had ever giving him a fair chance.
Correct, Vaughan is the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Doesn't get the recognition but he is definitely doing a great job. He is a true sideline to sideline backer.
ReplyDeleteThe defense is actually fine and holding up much better than pre-season predictions. Actually a pleasant surprise and the bright spot. It's the offense that is laying a great big turd. Certainly not living up to the pre-season hype. Injuries have been the obvious excuse. I can't say I agree. Reno needs to evaluate the OC position for sure and bring in someone that knows what they are doing.
The OC stinks plain and simple. Defensive OC does need to mix it up with stunts and blitzes. Disagree with concept of playing upperclassmen who are not as skilled. Bottom line team in a slump and change is needed.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Penn game and by my count Vaughn missed more than a half a dozen tackles where he had a clear shot and got lost in pass coverage. Freshman line backer can tackle but does need help on pass coverage.
ReplyDeleteI agree that upperclassman should not play unless they can hold their own and contribute. What I am saying is that playing young guys who don't understand what's going on doesn't help them or the team. On defense, blown coverages result from a player not being in the right position and not understanding the the offense - this is happening on defense. In such a case, it does not matter if the younger player is faster and more heralded than the upperclassman who recognizes the play and gets in the right position. I think you need both type of players on the field. Reno is making assumptions that his "guys" are better overall players because he recruited them. Sometimes, the old vet is best player.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the seventh game our players have the capability and intelligence to understand where they should be on a given play. It is the coaches reponsibility to make sure the players know were to be in there repective positions. Defense flopped early in the second half against Penn. I like our defense OC but he tends to be conservative and should attack more as stated by Coach Reno earlier in the season.
ReplyDeleteCommon now, the defense is the pillar of this team. The offense has done very little to show me that they are contributing. Just look at the scoring. Six rushing TDs by the QB on some twenty trick attempts and two fake field goal TDs. Subtract those from the total and you get the picture. That is not sustainable preconceived offense and I don't care how you look at it. Run mid zone plays 40 times per game and throw in a few trick plays? That's it? Now your trick play maker (QB) and your mid zone power house (RB) are injured. The scoring and total offense are very reflective of this! What is the plan now, if any?
ReplyDeleteA college defensive position coach at an SEC school once told me "if you make even one false step because you do not recognize where you should be in coverage, you have to be more athletic so that you can recover from your mistake, versus if you never make the false step you can be less athletic and yet a better player".
ReplyDeleteTherefore, the point is an underclassman simply being a better athlete, does not necessarily mean he should play ahead of an upperclassman who may be less athletic but can recognize where he should be and not make false steps.
Also, t0 12:28pm, I repeat, anyone who thinks Larkin is better than Vaughn is a fool and has not watched the games. All players miss tackles.
Do not disagree with you 1:04 PM but the rushing defense caved in against both Dartmouth and Penn in the second half. Granted the cave in may have been due to the lack of production on offense. Game plan is total vanilla without Furman,Varga and Smith add sprinkles when they are playing.
ReplyDeleteTo 1:12 PM my comment was not directed toward who was better but rather just pointing out the basic facts before you annoint Vaughn as the next coming of Dick Butkus.
ReplyDeleteSo step into Reno's shoes, you lose the best RB and WR in the league plus your QB and because of this your a bad coach? Sorry gentlemen that your son isn't playing but Harvard wouldn't be winning either! Fortunately, your sons will graduate soon enough and they can celebrate Reno's championships from the stands and realize he was right.
ReplyDeleteWell said 2:07 I see great things happening,in the near future of this team.
ReplyDeleteWe will beat Columbia (this is an unimaginably catastrophic season if we don't). By my reckoning this means a likely 4-6 finish. This team is not beating Princeton or Harvard. Brown seems about equal in talent so that will come down to coaching - so yeah, another loss. A 4-6 finish is abysmal with the talent we have and a 3-0 start, but I don't really think Reno is too concerned. He is relying on everyone giving him that three-year pass alluded to by an earlier poster who seemed to be saying that because Cozza and Siedlicki had lousy early seasons, we should expect the same from Reno regardless of talent or opponent strength. Reno would like to win, of course, but it's a secondary focus. The primary focus is developing players for the future. He has written this season off. It's a lousy situation for the upperclassmen who have put blood sweat and tears into their Yale careers, only to have the program turn its back on them, but it's true. And I agree with all prior posters about the offensive mess. This is as good as the O-line will be for the foreseeable future, with Gavin and Oppenheimer graduating. There is talent everywhere, even with key guys nicked up. The way Varga runs, he is likely to always be hurt. Chris Smith too has always struggled with staying on the field. Their absence cannot be an excuse; in fact, not having them is something that could have easily been anticipated, and prepared for. This staff can't figure out any way to utilize the talent it has.
ReplyDeleteTo 1:22pm. The issue is whether Reno can recognize talent and whether he has a tendency to prefer the men HE recruited over those he did not. Clearly if he ever though Larkin was better than Vaughn he was wrong and possibly bias.
ReplyDeleteSecondly I am not comparing him to Dick Butkus. However, for those who have seen the last several years of Yale football he looks a lot like the last Yale player to wear #42 (Jordan Haynes) who was a Yale Captain, so I'm pretty confident he is better than Larkin this year and should not been buried on Reno's depth chart last year.
The one thing I hope we can all agree on - we want Yale to win and for the guys to be successful in life. I think that have had their full of character building experiences from losing football games.
ReplyDeleteFunny how everyone attacks the obvious. How about Beckett? He is one of these guys just lurking in the shadows to remain politically correct and save his job. What has he done for this program? If everyone is getting roasted here why not him?
ReplyDeleteVaughn is no haynes either other than having the same number.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the problem with you maggots.It is never OK to lose or accept it.But you can not change it over night.
ReplyDeleteThis is a young team,that has had to deal with injuries.Who will be back, some sooner than later.
To say that ohhh were going to be 4-6 shut your mouth.I am sure the coaches and players feel alot worse about than you.
The three best defensive backs on the roster are Champion, Okano and LaTesta. If you saw last week's game Okano is way ahead of the player who was injured. This week two of the three will be on the bench.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see Nick Okano was finally given an opportunity to play this past weekend. One has to question Reno's decision not to use Okano for the past year. If you recall, Okano was a pre-season All-Ivy pick last year. He is just one of several upperclassmen who are not playing much.
ReplyDeletecouldn't agree more with 7:36 and 7:41
ReplyDeleteChosen QB starter last year, freshman Williams...hmmm now he's third string? Interesting. There was a trend from the start of the Reno/Morris era - a bent toward starting HIS guys. Didn't work out that well apparently.
ReplyDeletewhen all of "HIS" guys are on the roster in three more years, we will be able to evaluate Reno as a HC. until then, he is no different than any other new HC. please don't start calling out guys that "should" be playing. there are too many D3 players on this roster right now so let's just root on our team and hope we get guys healthy. if we are healthy and execute the way we did the first three weeks, we will have a chance to win every game left on the schedule.
ReplyDeleteGO BULLDOGS!
Steering recruits away from the the other Ivy teams with promises of immediate playing time is no way to build a program. What happened to all of last year's recruiting class. With the exception of a few it looks like they are no where to be found on the depth chart. I don't see Harvard, Princeton, and Penn doing that and they seem to be pretty good. "HIS" guys aren't any better than "THE OTHER GUYS" guys. They may "LOOK" better but they sure don't "PLAY" better. There is plenty of talent on Yale's roster that is not being utilized and is very capable of contributing. Sticking with guys week in and week out that can't get the job done doesn't make any sense. Let's face it, 80% of the players in the Ivy League are of basically equal talent. It is very arrogant to believe that our young, inexperienced underclassman are that much better than the rest of the league. I believe some of the so called "D3" talent on our roster can help us be a better team the rest of the year. Let's stop using injuries as an excuse and let's start playing the best players regardless of "WHOSE" guys they are. This storied program is turning into a comedy show.
ReplyDeleteAgree with 10:49
ReplyDeleteThe team is 3-3 and all the wins are against very poor teams. Give the juniors and seniors and other non-Reno recruits a chance to prove themselves. Sometimes hubris can lead to a very short tenure as coach, especially a coach who has had no experience other than being a career assistant. Sounds like our current mess in Washington!
Tom Williams was 7-3 in his second year as head coach
ReplyDeleteYes and where is he now.You so called fans need to be a little bit more respectful.
ReplyDeleteHe is a new coach,He is young needs to find his way.He is able to learn.Tony is very approachable,you can be straight forward with him and Tom Becket.
Stop being little cowards
Sincerely Jon Harris
How consistently pig-headed to persist in the claim that Coach Reno favors his guys over more deserving elders. That one was laid to rest when Furman, not Roberts, got the nod at QB. Likewise, QB Williams was committed to Yale before Coach Reno was hired. Therefore, not a Reno guy.
ReplyDeleteI wish I shared the views of the poster who assumed we were all rooting FOR the Yale football team. I sense that some of you were hoping for 0-10 plus mass defections and a slew of injuries, all of which would be laid at the feet of Coach Reno.
Lot of malice out there.
L et V
Why can't we all just get along? I didn't see much chirping when we were winning and the possibility of running the table was in the cards? Granted it was a house of cards.
ReplyDeleteIn the big picture nothing is really that important as long as everyone stays healthy. Wins and losses are just temporary anyway and you are a star or not until someone else comes along!
hey folks it's not the players losing the games... it's the coaching and I'm not talking about Reno. His assistance do not know how to make the best use of the players they have. who should play and when horrible play calling on both sides of the ball and no adjustments as the game goes on it's ridiculous and to say a coach is new or young it's his 1st year or 2nd?! you can coach or you can't end of story!
ReplyDeleteDon't know what you are looking for. Coaching is like any other job these days, you try to do the lest possible and get paid as much as possible and hope no one notices. if you think otherwise you are dillusional!
ReplyDeleteLooks like to me he is coaching,I see his coaching staff running drills.I see the players respond to him and staff with respect and enthusiasium.
ReplyDeleteYES, being a new coach running a program is a learning experience.
"Duh thats ridiculous" really now...How about you big mouth. You or anybody else do better..?
L V
ReplyDeleteLast year Furman was buried on the roster. Reno played Varga at QB against Columbia, Furman was never in the plans. Russell started against Harvard and was injured, there was no one but Furman at QB. If you go to practice you would have seen Furman clearly beat out Roberts. Don't think this scenario puts 'it to bed'.
6:28, it's not complicated. Who starts at QB in 2013?
ReplyDeleteFurman, not a Reno guy, or Roberts, a Reno guy???
Answer: Furman. Therefore, it cannot be said that Coach Reno only plays Coach Reno guys. Q.E.D.
L et V
You guys are arguing a moot point. Who cares which guy is starting. That is not the problem. Obviously once you have made the decision one way or the other it is up to the coaching staff to develop that player so that he is capable of executing what they are trying to do. Failing this, they need to realize players limitations and adopt a playbook that is suitable to his skill set and those around him that interact with him. That should not be so difficult but in my opinion it's not being done. Don't know why, but it is definitely not being done. This is why the offense looks so dysfunctional and disorganized. The other issue is the hurry up or as some call it "rush to quantity over quality" offense. You have to be pretty precise at all positions and your spacing, timing and mechanics have to be pretty near flawless or it will be messy, very , very, messy. Someone pointed out the 6 QB TDs on very few rushing attempts and the two fake field goals as major contributors to the offensive total. You can add to that Cornell's stupidity in not defending the bubble screen which accounted for another four TDs that game (have not been able to do it since). That is a total of 12 TDs by way of trickery or stupidity. That about sums up our offensive scoring output for the season. I think we had all the pieces to be prolific on offense. Why did this not materialize? And don't say injuries as I will tell you that the injuries were the likely result of doing things ass backwards, both this season and last. In my opinion the blame lies squarely on one individual and it is not Reno! If you blamed Reno for anything it would be for hiring this guy.
ReplyDeleteReno makes the final decisions and he is fully accountable. His OC is just a function of him. The hurry up offense is fine with a well-tuned machine that is well coached. Otherwise, it looks like trickery and foolishness. I feel bad for the players. They deserve better.
ReplyDeleteReno is not an offensive guy. He was a minor level assistant his whole coaching career. He has no idea why the offense is not working the way it should. How did Morris end up here? He went from HC at UMASS to OC at Yale? What the heck happened there, no other offers? Why else would you take such a pay cut and demotion? Do you think he is motivated to work here under those circumstances? I don't think so and the proof is in the pudding! I actually like Reno and he should wake up to the reality before he gets dragged down with his employee and the employee ends up the next Bulldogs head coach.
ReplyDeleteOC does not get it. Robert does not get it. Double recipe for disaster.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how every living soul assaults the self-evident. What about Beckett? He is one of these gentlemen simply slinking in the shadows to remain politically right and save his occupation. What has he accomplished for this project? Assuming that everybody is getting broiled here why not him?
ReplyDelete5:18 brought up the same point. This bunch was put together rather hastily and on a low budget, after the firing of Williams. There are definitely some duds here. You know the old saying "you pay peanuts you get monkeys". I think the situation warrants a serious evaluation after the season is over.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see now that hopes of an Ivy Championship are gone if more upperclassmen lose their positions to Reno recruits.
ReplyDeleteBefore taking over the Minutemen program in 2009, Morris spent five years - the most successful span in the history of UMass football - as the offensive coordinator. He helped UMass go 43-19, win two conference titles, reach a pair (2006, 2007) of NCAA Tournaments and play in the 2006 national championship contest.
ReplyDeleteMorris went to UMass from Northeastern University, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for four seasons (2000 to 2003). Morris directed one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the Atlantic 10 Conference, breaking 24 school offensive records in four years. During the 2003 season, the Huskies led the A-10 in total offense (431.8), while ranking second in scoring offense (34.5).
I think he knows what he is doing. Not sure why the O has been stagnant the last 3 weeks but stats don't lie.
There in lies your answer, no one ran the spread back in 2000-2003. If those are his credentials before 2009, what happened after that? Looks like he fell off the wagon. I think there is more to the story than meets the eye. Why was he willing to come to Yale, be demoted and take a substantial pay cut. A guy with his credentials could surely land another D1 head coaching or OC gig at a more prominent football school and for a lot more dinaros. Or maybe he couldnt? Something doesn't add up.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Hard to believe this many arm chair quarterbacks are out there. And now injuries are the fault of the coaches. I don't know whether to be happy there are so many Yale fans who care, or to be sad that there are so many idiots who judge a new coach and his staff after only a year and a half. That is, those of you who actually waited that long. Many were condemning Reno after one game last year.
ReplyDeleteYou whiners are unbelievable. I wonder if anything makes you happy? Is it truly your wish to fire the coaching staff and start all over again? Were you all part of the hatchet-wielding folks that forced out Coach Sid? Coach Sid won Ivy Championships - isn't that what we all want? When Williams was here, those folks were begging for Beckett to re-hire Sid.
ReplyDeleteDespite living in the age of instant gratification, there are some things for which one must work long and hard.
Thank you to Coach Reno, his staff and their players for all of their hard work as well as their incredible energy and enthusiasm. Their efforts are producing noticeable change in a very positive direction.
Keep up the good work fellas.
'89 Ivy Champs
Charles Cook definitely showed up this week.
ReplyDeleteEven your mama showed up this week! We just played possibly the worst team in FCS. Everyone was a star today. No gloating and no patting each others behind, three tough games coming up! Show up and shut up!
ReplyDeleteAgree with 3:46 for sure
ReplyDelete4:44pm It's beyond me why people like you blog such rude, inappropriate words. The players are human beings just like you. Have you ever thought about how you would personally feel if there was so many mean-spirited comments about you???? Check your conscience.
ReplyDeleteLet's get rid of the anonymous comments. If have such an opinion, put your name behind it.
ReplyDeleteGood job, to the Coaches and players.Looking forward to the Brown game.
ReplyDeleteCheers Jon Harris
Chris: Would you post a list that sets out the names of the wounded and those who've been lost for the season. We've been concentrating on Smith and Varga, but on Saturday I noticed that Bryan Holmes, who boots them a mile, was not kicking off. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteL et V