RSS
Yale camp update
The Bulldogs have officially returned to the field. Here are a few notes from the first week of preseason camp.
Tony Reno said he’s looked good so far.
“He looks like he hasn’t missed a beat,” one teammate said.
But the true test for Varga will come when the Bulldogs have their first practice with contact on Sunday.
Varga looking good
Of course, everyone’s top question is about Tyler Varga’s health. Varga missed most of last season with a foot injury and saw a handful of foot specialists throughout the offseason.
Tony Reno said he’s looked good so far.
“He looks like he hasn’t missed a beat,” one teammate said.
But the true test for Varga will come when the Bulldogs have their first practice with contact on Sunday.
Roberts impressing
As for the QB situation, Reno has been really impressed with Morgan Roberts, both as a quarterback and a leader. With a full year under his belt, he seems to really be coming into his own. It looks like the starting job is his to lose.
Freshmen Rafe Chapple, Stephen Barmore and Andrew Johnson have shown glimpses of promise.
Freshmen Rafe Chapple, Stephen Barmore and Andrew Johnson have shown glimpses of promise.
Others looking strong early...
Others who have been impressive early? WRs Myles Gaines and Robert Clemons have been pleasant surprises. DEs Victor Egu and Marty Moesta are bigger and stronger, and that has translated onto the field. DBs Foye Oluokun and Spencer Rymiszewski are also looking stronger and have been more consistent with their technique.
Freshmen
Some freshmen that have caught the eye of Reno early are OL Jon Bezney, WRs Jake Dehart, Ross Drwal, Mike Siragusa and Chris Williams-Lopez, along with TE Conor Furey and LB Matt Oplinger.
Lewis update
Some have asked about Avery Lewis. The promising WR has suffered another set back (leg injury) and will be out indefinitely. He has played in the Bulldogs season opener in 2012, but has yet to get on the field again.
Reno talking about preseason camp
Reno on the first week: “We’re off to a good start. They had a good summer and it carried over. The older guys are doing a nice job of leading and setting an example. And the young talent in competing for positions, and that makes for a nice mix. There’s a lot of competition at each position. That increases the level of performance and hopefully gives us some depth. We’re still a work in progress, but I’m definitely encouraged by the progress.”
posted by Anonymous at
1:10 PM
80 Comments:
The Morgan Roberts report is so disheartening. They picked him up based on a few passes he tossed against a group on walk ons at Clemson in a spring scrimmage. Did the coaches watch the games last year? The game is just too fast for him, even the Ivy League. They are better off with Scott or grooming a freshman for the future. Roberts give us no chance to win.
There are two other junior quarterbacks that know the system and are not chump change. I was watching some of the practice today and number 12 and 14 look good. Give them a shot before you put in a freshman. The freshmen don't know the system and I remember the Williams fiasco. I would like to see more of these guys.
If you watched Roberts from fall to spring to camp you would see he has made huge strides. Is he the answer? I don't know but he has looked better each step.
Who's the other junior QB?
C. Hunn:
Please find out whether the Brown scrimmage will be open.
Meny thanks.
L et V
12 Anthony morales
14. Logan Scott.
We have seen Logan. He can dothe job. Morales is very accurate and has good size. I'm not sure why we don't see more of him.
Scott is too small and Morales is too slow. Doesn't Morales own some CT High school passing records? He would probably be a good choice as he is the most accurate QB we have, but not in this style of offense. Scott is mechanically much better than Roberts and is a better runner too but I think he doesn't get the opportunity because of size. Frankly, we just don't have a QB that fits what we are trying to do. Trying to fit a square peg in to a round hole! To be honest, it looks more like a coaching problem than a QB problem? Our strength is at the RB position but we are forcing the whole thing to depend on the QB position. Might be time to re-think this one?
First, you can either select the personnel to fit your offense, or you can select the offense to fit your personnel. Yale has opted for the former, going with the Oregon offense that Chip Kelly developed at New Hampshire. Joe Conlin was a defensive assistant for the last couple of years of Kelly's OC tenure at UNH. Kevin Morris was calling an offense that wasn't his - quick decisions in the booth are critical to the relentless onslaught that Kelly devised. When the offense was working well last year, the plays were getting to the field quickly before the defense had time to reset. Sometimes, though, you saw the guys standing for twenty seconds, watching the sideline for a play to be called. Hopefully the change will be positive for Yale's offense, and Morris is in a better place to use his experience and skills.
Second, selecting the QB in this offense is critical, and the skills required are not necessarily the same required for other styles of play. You don't need a huge arm, and you don't even need to be a great athlete. What you need is a calm demeanor, strong visualization skills, extreme focus and the ability to make the right decision with limited information. What little we have seen of Scott and Roberts would suggest that Scott fits that skill set better. Roberts clearly has a stronger arm and a bigger body - we will see if he can remain calm, see the field, and make good decisions. I hope he can.
12:50 - Can you take over the producing of content for this blog? By far the most level headed, informative post I've seen on portal 31.
Lets hope we see more of Scott and I would like to see more of Anthony morales. He is very comfortable back there and a quick thinker. Add accuracy to that list and size. He may be slower but we are not looking for a running back. I agree with the last post. We need a game manager. . Lets hope we pick the right guy that is going to highlight Vargas ability and put some points on the board.
Conlin is running his own offense, he has no association with Chip Kelly whatsoever. If he did he would be working for the Eagles. Alot of the runs were ones he used at Harvard. Throw in some tempo and thats what he wants to do.
It's almost impossible for a defense to be good when facing a high tempo offense everyday in practice. Point being the offense needs to score a lot of points if Yale wants to be successful.
Obviously the QB recruits that Reno has brought in are no better than the ones Williams brought to Yale. I am going to predict a QB controversy this season and unless Varga stays healthy it is going to be a year to step back and hear all the discussion about Reno. Maybe we should just come to the conclusion we just will probably suck and can't catch up to Penn, Princeton, Harvard and Dartmouth. I do think we can beat Cornell and Columbia. Brown is having to replace all of their offense and we should be them, but if we don't we can't say we are a young team again those guys.
Does anyone have any idea of what time practice will be on Saturday 8/30?
Chris; Can you tell who is the starting offense and defense after the first week?
Whew what a weekend,The boys are back..! They look sharp.Yes I mean Morgan Roberts, He was running the show. He looked poised and comfortable.Coach Conlin had these young lads shakin and bakin.Dozen bullpups are already cutting their teeth and look like they could participate NOW.
Looks like the #1 O line can cause some damage. Defense has alot of depth and nastiness. Which I totally enjoyed.
Looking forward to seeing these guys later in the week.
Cheers Jon Harris
the Yale O-Line is nowhere near the current Harvard O-Line.
Exactly this current Yale O line will cause Damage.I could careless
about Harvard or any other team.
But this current Yale Team will make heads spin this year.
Jon Harris
If your gonna, make a statement like that. Be a man and put your name to it.I would say you are Truth not so much teller. If your not it.say who you are.
I could careless about Harvard or any other team in this league other than Yale.
This Yale team will surprise alot of people, and this Yale Oline will be better than last year. Jon Harris
Who says anything about Harvard.
who cares about Harvard.3:59 be a man write your name.
Yale o line is 20lbs bigger per man,than last year.I expect them to have a great year.
Harvard sucks and anybody associated with them sucks.
Jon Harris
Hey Tim Murphy, this is a Yale football blog. Not a harvard sorority session.
Most people on this blog understand that.
harvard SUCKS
Jon Harris
Scott should be the starter. He's proved it in GAMES when the bullets are flying. Roberts can't handle the pressure.
Well it's Roberts to lose,if he can't produce one of the boys has a chance.Scott included but at this point Roberts looks better than all of them.
Jon Harris
Roberts could not hit a cow in the ass with a snow shovel. Scott deserves a better shot.
The Brown scrimmage is open...Reno will not provide a depth chart until closer to the season opener...I am waiting on a response for Saturday's practice time.
I will be at practice tomorrow.
Chris; was asking your opinion who looked like the starters on offense and defense so far.
It's the Oregon offense. It's what Conlin advertised when he came. And there are lots of former assistants who have had a part in that scheme who are not with the Eagles, so that make no sense at all.
Oregon offense minus anyone that even remotely resembles Mariota. Wow,Conlin has learned absolutely zero. Is it that hard to evaluate the ability of your players and devise a plan that fits those abilities or is this so difficult that it requires grad school? Get ready for another doomed season! Better pray Varga stays healthy, cuz we need a miracle!
Conlin has no insight to what Kelly did at Oregon. I bet he hasn't talked to Kelly in 7 years.
Any offense with no Quarterback translates to no offense. Can anybody reasonably on this board suggest there is any Quaterback who can consistantly put points on the board with this offense?
Let me explain the basis of the Oregon offense. Everything is dependent on two running plays, IZR and OZR. That is inside zone read and outside zone read. The more critical of the two is IZR. The difference between the two is RB alignment in relation to the QB. For IZR the RB lines up behind the QB either on the left or right side and for the OZR the RB lines up almost parallel to the QB. If he is on the left the play is IZR or OZR right and if he is on the right the play is IZR or OZR left. For those with old school mentality the IZR is basically a dive option play where we always leave the backside DE or LB unblocked and option him. By leaving the backside unblocked we now have one additional blocker on the play side. We are telling the defense what we are going to do by the alignment. They have two choices, overplay the play side or not. If they do not overplay the play side we will outnumber them at the point of attack and gain yardage. If they overplay the play side they will leave a hole between the backside DE and the play side. Depending on the split of the DE this hole could be quite large. The QB will be looking at the backside DE or LB to decide if he is going to hand the ball off to the RB or keep it and run back side. If the DE stays wide he will hand the ball off to the RB and the RB will make a split second decision to either run the ball play side as intended by alignment or cut back through the gap between the DE and the play side. If the DE crashes down to close the backside gap the QB will keep the ball and run wide outside of him. There are variations to this but that is the intent by design. The IZR is the most important play in this offense and nothing else will work if it is not successful! Why? Because it either forces the defense to commit to defending a zone or spreading out creating areas of weakness that can be exploited both in the running and passing game. The concept is very simple. Why does it fail? There are two reasons why this offense fails. One, the defensive line is just plain good and can defeat the blocks without committing extra men to any zone. Two, the QB ha s limited running ability and therefore poses no threat to the back side of the play effectively negating the option and leaving your RB as the sacrificial lamb on every running play. Since we cannot seem to get past reason #2 I will save the OZR lesson for a time when it is more relevant to discuss. Hope this sheds some light on our offensive situation.
11:55 1:00 1:19 1:30, I feel sorry for you guys.You make statements that are based on last years results. Many things happen in 9 months,kids mature,get stronger,wisdom.
I enjoy going to practices and I do see alot.I talk to the boys and all of them are very gracious and polite. The coaches are the same. I will not divulge any info on this board that would or could
harm the team.
So based on this years practice the series have been crisp,organized and smooth,it seems the like the team is enjoying and have a lot of energy and a great attitude.
I suggest that if you can if your able attend a practice instead of making cynical and snide remarks.about the kids after all thay are kids.
You can call me what ever you want.You know what will happen if you get me going.?
Thats all for Jon Harris
Since Chunn will not venture on starting offense and defense after first week what about you Jon Harris.
3:11 when I talk to a person, I like to use their name.Chris will have an update tommorrow.
But I will give you Roberts at Qb
O Line was Carberry,Chism,Longinotti,
Friedline and Cannon.This line is 20 lbs. heavier per man on avg.
I really just concentrated on that group.
Randell was out there Wallace
Buric ,Haenni at TE. Varga looked smooth.
I will be there on Friday,I will see has solidified.I am sure Chris will have a great report tommorrow.
Cheers Jon Harris
Intra-squad scrimmage is closed to public this saturday. Are Chris and Jon Harris attending.
No,I was planning on going Friday.
But the scrimmage the following Saturday against Brown is open.
Cheers Jon Harris
Reno just making more enemies everyday. What's the point of closing the scrimmage? The element of surprise against a non league opponent? He's scared to show his cards. Fear has set in.
No, I am going on Friday.But the following Saturday is the Brown Scrimmage at the Bowl.
Cheers Jon Harris
Unfortunately, today's practice time was changed and I was unaware.
I will be there on Thursday with an update.
As for starters, I have to see a little bit more to make an educated guess.
Saturday's practice is closed to everyone, including me.
I'm sorry but Chip Kelly isn't an innovator of this offense. Rich Rodriquez ran the exact same offense 10 years before Kelly did maybe 20 years. Chip is a great play caller however his ability to recruit elite dual threat qbs and the nations top fast running backs helped a lot. Yale has no fast qbs and no fast backs. Thanks for the crash course you really don't have a clue. And you notice chip is not running this offense in the NFL. Why? Because it will never work so he adapted. Maybe Yale needs to adapt.
10:23 ZZZZZ Whatttt huh your
BORING.No one cares.because once again your Boring.
CHEERS JON HARRIS
Dear 10:23,
Legitimate disagreements on coaching decisions about personnel, schemes, game day play calling are all fair game in a blog on Yale football. But why you write adds little to the constructive criticism of Yale football. We all know Reno is growing as a coach and the teams the last two years have suffered from his on the job training. But to summarily dismiss every encouraging observation by those who actually attend practice and others demonstrate by their writing in this blog that they have actually played football at a higher level and are serious students of the game serves no purpose. Please go back and read your commentary over the last few days. It's bad for fan morale and horrible for recruiting. If you really care about getting Yale football to the next level, choose your words carefully henceforth--opposition coaches, Yale prospects and their parents read these posts. No one is asking you to refrain from legitimate criticisms of the program. But please, ratchet back the cynicism and snarkiness. If nothing else, the tone detracts from whatever valid points you offer.
2:18 Thank you for explaining our offense. I have never seen it explained so simply. I am old school and not quite up to speed on new concepts. I look forward to your explanation of the outside zone read and some of the passing options.
The key takeaway from 2:18's write-up of the offense is that it REQUIRES a mobile QB who is a threat to run to the backside with authority on any given play.
Yale does not currently have that. And that's a fundamental concern.
The coaching staff either needs to actively recruit QB's who fit that mold, or change the mold to fit the talent the staff can attract (think back to the Cozza/Kehler/wishbone season).
That is the answer. I too enjoyed the thorough explanation of the offense they run. I may be old school but I agree that there is alot of talent at the Qb position and on the team. They just need the right offense and the right qb and players to execute it. How are we looking defensively mr Harris?
Actually, we do have QBs that can run. But being able to run and being able to run like another RB are two completely different things. You can't take a QB who is not physical and not built to be another RB and ask him to be that RB/QB. The most probable outcome is a quick season ending injury! The last two seasons being perfect examples of this. I believe we had three go down in one game alone?
What you are looking for is an actual RB who has some throwing ability. Contrary to what people might believe, it is the run game, particularly the inside zone run, that sets up all the options in the zone read spread offense. It's really designed as a two feature back option offense. The passing ability of the QB/RB just needs to be adequate to make things work.
The QB's have to be good accurate passers just remember the tailbacks on the good Princeton sing wing teams.
Our top two QB's (Roberts and Scott) are not running qbs. Scott is a pure drop-back passer and Roberts is scared to get hit. Just facts
just because you can quote "Run" doesn't make you a running qb. Have to be willing to take on hit after hit and get back up.
Word is Morales is most accurate.
It's not a question of the QBs being afraid of getting hit or not. Well, maybe some. The problem is that they are all too frail to get hit. If you don't have any meat on them there bones survival will be tough. Just ask Mike Vick or RG3! Johnny $$$ will be the next example!
We are just recruiting the wrong type of athlete for the position.
Barmore is no midget.
Well Reno did bring in 5 Qbs this year.10 are on the current roster.
Your Qb needs to manage the game.Throw it when you need to throw.Run when you need to run,keep the defense honest and break'em if they are'nt.
Darrin Kehler, was fun to watch.
he was actually 5'8" 165 lb.played on the baseball team and Coach asked him to join the team.
I know some of you guys,are suspect of Coach Reno.But believe me most of what you say is pure BS. The man is doing a great job the staff are the same ilk.
This team is on the verge to do fantastic things.I have personally witness this every time I go to practice.
The freshmen are legit,hungry.As the whole team is.
I do not understand the negative thoughts,Really is'nt needed or wanted. I compare it to a child making a sand castle and some punk coming over and smashing it.
When I was younger, I was the kid. Who stood up to that idiot. so in hine sight I still have the same attitude.
Cheers Jon Harris
How many reps does the 3rd string QB get in team periods during practice? So having 10 qbs might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard of in my life. You have 7 qbs literally just showing up to practice to drink some Gatorade and signal plays. What is going on over there, do they really have 10 qbs?
I just received an e-mail from the Yale Football Association inviting all alumni to Saturday's scrimmage at 3pm. Is it closed or not?
It's official 7:22 pm is a ginormous idiot. "Just sayin"
Jon Harris
Andy,
As far as I know, this Saturday's practice/scrimmage is closed.
The scrimmage against Brown the following Saturday at the Bowl is open.
I didn't believe that but after looking at the roster they do have 10 qbs! That has to lead the nation.
Hi Chris,
Contact Patrick Ruwe. He would want to know.
Andy
9:44 what it shows is a team looking for someone to lead this team.To build depth at that position.
Jon Harris
5:03 you are correct about Barmore. Plenty of meat on him. At 6'2" 210 lbs., 4.55 forty and 385 lb. bench (one of the highest on the entire team) pretty sure he can take a hit. Did any of you happen to see the LL champ. game?? I think there is plenty of talent at QB to run this offense. Just have to give them a chance!!
Sadly, some of you keep talking about the talent on this team. You should go watch Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn practice and see what more talented teams look like. Yale is an average team at best and the talent is the same. Anyone can hype recruits but wins & losses is the true indicator. The University of Texas gets one of the top 5 recruiting classes every year and they did not even get to a bowl game in 2013 nor have a player get drafted.
Yale has average players with not even average QBs, so Yale will compete with Columbia, Brown and Cornell for the bottom 3 spots in the Ivy League.
The other Ivy teams will compete for the championship. Maybe in 10 years Yale will have a chance again
He is a freshman and one of the smaller qbs. He needs time. All of these qbs were stand out high school players. Lets see how Roberts plays out. There is a long list of qbs to go thru and it isn't only the Qb that we need to worry about to win. These kids play for the education which is most important
If it was productive to have 10 qbs then Alabama and Florida would have 10 qbs.
Basically this is how the recruiting works. It's a massive rush to fill your recruiting class as soon as possible. Offers are flying around and kids are being pressured to commit now or their spot will be given to someone else. Blah, blah blah! The truth is, there is no one else. The pool of players available that fit the Ivy league and Yale academic and financial criteria is microscopic. Add to that players that are actually "good", and fit these criteria, and you have found the needle in a hay stack. The reason you end up with 10 QBs is because you had no one else to fill the spot that meets the criteria or you would have jumped all over them! HYP, ad the E and you get the picture!
10:16 am or truth teller,how many times have you seen Harvard,Penn,Pton and Dartmouth
practice thats interesting.? You must be a real dedicated person.?
Very knowing,Texas huhcoparing Big 12 football to Ivy hmm.
You Have NO Credibility at ALL.
In fact your a terrible liar.
So stop doing it.
Jon Harris
2:08 Couldn't agree more. I guess I need to get used to the fact that many of you on this blog are not fans and actually want to see the team fail.
1:31 There are plenty of "good" players who are smart enough to go to Ivy league schools, we have quite a few on our team alone!
I think too much is made about recruiting at Yale. Be honest how hard is Yale actually recruiting? Its the Ivy League, Non scholarship ball. The school sells itself.
3:21 In fact there are more fans ,that want to see this team excel.
You do have a faction most likely the same person that keeps on writing this immature blather.
He has nothing else better to do
3:47 Yale needs to keep up with the Jones,it's important Yale does well,they are going against strong competition for same student. Quite frankly, I want to see them win.
Cheers Jon Harris
I have been watching Yale football since the mid 1960’s. I can remember sitting in Portal 11 and watching the same “fan” at every home game calling Cozza all kinds of names standing up waving hands complaining over play calling as loud as he could. This was in the 1970s Yale’s modern era hayday. Truth Teller is a similar troll that should be banned from this blog. This type of person achieves inner peace by picking a high target and repetitiously attacking it trying to dragging it down. If Yale went 9-1 the one loss would be his new “harp”. Unfortunately we all have to read the ravings of a person who has some deep psychological issues.
7:41PM - I just checked and I do not appear in this thread of 70 comments at all. So you must really be obsessed with me. I have no desire to drag anyone down, thus the name TruthTeller. However, we live in a world now where people do not want the truth, they want to be told what they want to hear.
Some things are obvious like Yale hired a head coach whose previous highest position had been special teams coordinator. When you hire someone who does not have the requisite experience they are going to make mistakes, whether it's football or managing a McDonalds. Reno has made several, some of which he appears to have corrected which I have previously given him credit for. The problem is that you Yale FB Pom Pom carriers won't even admit the obvious mistakes. You make excuse for him such as injuries without acknowledging that the rash of injuries that have piled up under him may be due to something HE is doing such as the physicality of the practices once the season begins which has been an issue and is one I am personally aware of.
As I have said before, your kind attacks the messenger because you can't argue the facts. It's what those do not have the truth on their side due or who lack the intellect to debate them do. Frankly it is what children do, which given that we are talking about Yale is quite disappointing.
TruthTeller
Truth not so much teller,You are the epitome of dull and boring person.
You have nothing better to do than recite over and over the same garbage. People on this blog and I are sick of you.
Nothing is ever going to be good for you.As it was pointed out by anther blogger YOU ARE A TROLL.
Look it up Tell your Mommy I said Hello Jon Harris
12:25, what are the "rash" of injuries that have occurred in his "physical" practices? To my knowledge any major injuries have occurred on the game field.
'13
TT who debates on a blog,especially when you lie so often.You repeat the same negative retort. Why are so mad?.Did somebody steal your twinkie off your lunch tray in the lunch room.?At the Pysche hospital were you're remanded.
Take your happy bills
Cheers Jon Harris
7:31pm - If you do not understand the relationship between the physicality of practices especially once the season starts and injuries, then you should never comment on this blog again. Why do you think the NFL has strict limits on the amount of contact during both the preseason and during the season. But again I'm a troll who knows nothing. I won't bother to explain it to you, after all you have it all figured out already.
TruthTeller
Actually Trolls no things ,It's just people are tired of you
Tammy Tella.
See you at the Lehigh Game girl friend.
Jon Harris
9:57 having played college football I do understand. Just because an injury occurs during a game doesn't mean it's because of the "physicality" of practice. Based on your analysis if a sprinter in the Olympics pulls up with a hamstring it's his coaches fault, right? Football is a physical game, injuries happen. That's why I'm curious what the "rash" of injuries are you referred to. You talk about all your "facts", now I'm calling you out to show some facts and you dismiss it. But when someone does the same to you, they are an idiot. You can't have it both ways.
Check the injuries for the 2012 and 2013 season relative to prior. Also ask the team members for those teams and many will tell you that during the season there was much more hitting during game week than there was prior. Several players indicated to me personally that the physicality of those practices left them physically tired and sore on Saturday. Not because of conditioning, because of being bang up from the hitting during the week on gameday.
When you are tired, the first thing that goes is the fundamentals, so now they are not positioning themselves correctly rather they are on offense or defense. This makes them more likely to get injured.
If you hit someone or get hit and your body is not positioned properly, you are more likely to get injured. That is football 101.
Also note that on most occasions over the last two years the team has faded as the game progressed. I do not believe it was due t conditioning, I believe it was due to fatigue caused by the physicality of the practices.
TruthTeller
Truth Twister
Like any player would even talk to someone as negative as you.
Funny how you are the only one the players confide in.
Take your negativity and fantasies and self importance and find a more worthy outlet.
Your hatred of Yale and Reno has been duly noted.
11:35 that would have been a lot easier to say the first time. Having played for an old school coach myself I can see your rational but disagree with the cause of injury but agree with late game fatigue. Having followed the team for a few years now, I've seen guys get hurt as in any other game, big hits! You can't prevent injuries, they are part of the game. Hopefully our young HFC is learning and moving the program forward. Personally I was glad to hear of the intensity two years ago as opposed to having a HFC more concerned with showing his dance moves during practice, so the rumor goes.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home