Here are some notes off of Tuesday’s media luncheon, coming off a 49-43 overtime win over Army. The victory marked the first time an Ivy League opponent beat an FBS school since Penn beat Navy in 1986.

IMPROVING DEFENSE?

Yale’s young defense may have given up a combined 86 points in the first two games, but there were some promising signs toward the end of Saturday’s game against Army.

The Bulldogs stopped Army on a fourth-and-1 attempt and came up with some critical stops down the stretch.

“As the game went on, we made strides,” senior Charles Cook said. “That’s something we can build off of. We see spurts of us playing Yale defense, the kind of defense that we want to be. It’s just a matter of being more consistent. What we did in that last quarter and in overtime is something we can build off of.”

RENO ON SPREAD

Tony Reno on why the spread is his offense of choice: “It’s three fold. The first part, I believe in being aggressive on the field and controlling the tempo. I know what that does to you defensively. Second, recruiting wise I felt I had a good handle on what we could recruit at Yale. I felt we can recruit the type of athlete that can excel in this offense. Third, kids like playing in the system. It’s the type of offense that you know can work and you can recruit it, and control the tempo and kids like it.”

WHAT WOULD RENO DO?

Up 43-36 and facing a fourth-and-1 on the Yale 15 early in the fourth, Army had an opportunity to make it a two-score game. But Black Knights coach Jeff Monken decided to go for it. Jeff Schmittgens came up with a huge stop to end the drive.

What would Reno have done in that situation?

“You go for it,” Reno said. “You run a triple-option offense, you go for it. We just had a great individual effort by Jeff Schmittgens.”

ROBERTS RUNNING

Morgan Roberts has 96 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries so far. When Roberts came to Yale, Reno spoke highly of his elite speed. It’s showing now.

“I like to consider myself a dual threat QB, but only inside the system,” Roberts said. “When the end crashes or a zone read or my progressions aren’t open and then tuck it down and pull it. Last year, I was trying to run too much, trying to make plays that didn’t need to be made.”

TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Football Writers Association of America named Yale its “Big Game National Team of the Week” for its overtime win over Army. The award has been handed out since 2002 and an Ivy League team has never earned the honor, which requires a win over an FBS school.

The only FCS schools to earn this were North Dakota State and Appalachian State.

Also, Tyler Varga picked up a handful of awards for his performance on Saturday. Varga earned The Sports Network's Offensive Player of the Week and a Gold Helmet from the New England Football Writers. That's not all. Varga was named national player of the week by Collegefootballperformance.com and Collegesportsmadness.com, along with being featured on ESPN's College Football Final show and NFL Primetime.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Yale’s 36 first downs against Army were a school record. The previous mark was 32 which was set in 1976.

Also, the Bulldogs are 4-for-4 on fourth down conversions this season.

HOLY CROSS SERIES SET

Yale and Holy Cross have inked a 12-game series, which was finalized last week.

The series will run from 2017-2028. The two teams have met 31 times, the last coming in 2008. Yale leads the series 27-4.

The complete schedule is below.


Oct. 14, 2017

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 15, 2018

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.


Sept. 21, 2019

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 19, 2020

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.


Sept. 18, 2021

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 17, 2022

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.


Sept. 16, 2023

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 21, 2024

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.


Sept. 20, 2025

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 19, 2026

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.


Sept. 18, 2027

Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.


Sept. 16, 2028

Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.

Cornell Big Red

When: Saturday 12:30 p.m. at Cornell

Record: 0-2

All-time series: Yale leads 45-29-2

Last week: Cornell's offense struggled once again, producing just 233 yards of total offense and falling to Bucknell 20-7. 

Top players: QB Jake Jatis (14-26-2, 152 yds, 1 TD), WR (6-59 1 TD), RB Luke Hagy (60.5 ypg), LB Miles Norris (18 tackles, two sacks).

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	North Dakota State (153)	4-0	4,017	1
2	Eastern Washington (8)	4-1	3,865	2
3	Coastal Carolina	5-0	3,501	3
4	New Hampshire	3-1	3,408	4
5	McNeese State	2-1	3,274	5
6	Villanova	3-1	3,249	6
7	Montana	3-2	3,000	7
8	Jacksonville State	3-1	2,888	8
9	South Dakota State	3-1	2,710	9
10	UNI	2-2	2,489	10
11	Southeastern Louisiana	3-2	2,308	11
12	William & Mary	4-1	1,999	12
13	Montana State	3-2	1,902	13
14	Chattanooga	2-2	1,661	14
15	Southern Illinois	4-1	1,615	17
16	Fordham	4-1	1,614	16
17	Bethune-Cookman	3-1	1,479	15
18	Youngstown State	3-1	1,351	18
19	Eastern Kentucky	4-0	1,222	19
20	Richmond	2-2	1,066	20
21	Tennessee State	4-1	858	21
22	Illinois State	3-0	600	23
23	Albany	4-0	453	24
24	Delaware	3-1	343	25
25	Indiana State	3-1	270	NR

Dropped out: No. 22 Liberty. 

Others receiving votes: Missouri State 147, Charleston Southern 146, Northern Arizona 142, Sam Houston State 105, Southeast Missouri State 72, Liberty 62, North Carolina A&T 61, Alabama State 57, Harvard 50, Alcorn State 40, Yale 39, Samford 25, Maine 24, Northwestern State 22, South Dakota 20, Furman 20, Eastern Illinois 19, Towson 17, Bucknell 16, Presbyterian 15, South Carolina State 13, Saint Francis (Pa.) 11, Bryant 10, Abilene Christian 9, Wofford 9, Western Carolina 8, Tennessee Tech 5, James Madison 4, Jacksonville 4, Sacred Heart 3, San Diego 3, Central Arkansas 2, Lafayette 2, Stephen F. Austin 1

Take a look at the Register's photo gallery from Yale's game against Army Saturday and all its festivities.

From the Ivy League...

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Yale senior tailback Tyler Varga (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) scored 30 of the Bulldogs’ 49 points, while rushing for 185 yards and a school-record five touchdowns in a 49-43 overtime victory over Army at the Yale Bowl. Varga carried the ball 28 times and found the end zone on scampers of 13, 2, 15, 18 and 3 yards. The last one from three yards out came in the extra frame after the Black Knights missed a 25-yard field on their first possession of overtime. He helped the Elis to a school-record 36 first downs in giving the Football Championship Subdivision its seventh win over an Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Princeton sophomore linebacker Rohan Hylton (Orlando, Fla.) was all over the field for the Tigers in a 56-27 win over Davidson. Hylton recorded a career-high 11 tackles, five of which were solo efforts. His 1.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage came on back-to-back plays in the first quarter, which helped Princeton open its 22-3 lead. He led a Tiger defense that only surrendered 67 rushing yards and 5.7 yards per pass completion.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dartmouth senior wide receiver/returner Kirby Schoenthaler (Bartlesville, Okla.) broke the school record for kickoff return yards in a game by taking seven kicks a total of 198 yards in the Big Green’s 52-19 loss at fourth-ranked New Hampshire. Among those seven returns was a career-long, 92-yard return to the Wildcats’ two-yard line, allowing the Big Green to kick a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds of the opening half. That return is tied for the eighth-longest in school history. Schoenthaler totalled the most kickoff return yards in an FCS game thus far this season and is currently 11th in the nation averaging 28.7 yards per kick return.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Cornell freshman quarterback Jake Jatis (Charlotte) earned the start at Bucknell, becoming just the second Big Red rookie to start a game under center. Jatis completed 11-of-23 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown and also ran the ball for 20 yards. He joined good company, as two-time All-America selection Jeff Mathews (2010-13) -- the Ivy League’s all-time leading passer -- started the final nine games of the 2010 campaign to become the first Cornell rookie quarterback to earn a start.

HONOR ROLL
Quinn Epperly, Princeton (Sr., QB - Knoxville, Tenn.)
15-18-0, 176 yds., 118 rush yds., 4 TDs

Andrew Fischer, Harvard (Jr., WR - Diamond Bar, Calif.)
12 rec. for 115 yds., 1 TD

Chris Fraser, Cornell (So., P - Pittsburgh)
42.5 yds./punt, 3 in20, 3 FC

Marcus Fuller, Brown (Sr., QB - Ashland, Ohio)
16-29-1, 238 yds., 1 TD, 22 rush yds.

Luke Hagy, Cornell (Jr., RB - Pittsburgh)
15 car. for 53 yds., 24 rec. yds.

Dre Nelson, Princeton (Jr., RB - Stone Mountain, Ga.)
89-yd. KOR TD, 28 rush yds., 29 rec. yds.

Xavier Russo, Brown (Sr., LB - San Francisco)
9 tkls. (5 solo)

Connor Sheehan, Harvard (Sr., LB - Austin, Texas)
8 tkls. (4 solo)

Jarrod Watson-Lewis, Cornell (Jr., CB - Oceanside, Calif.)
8 tkls. (8 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1.0 Sack

Follow all of today's action for the Yale-Army game, here.

Here is a look at four things to keep an eye on in Saturday when Yale hosts Army to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Yale Bowl.

Encore performance: Yale proved its offense is loaded, exploding for 683 yards of total offense in last week’s win over Lehigh. Morgan Roberts and company will need to light up the scoreboard once again if they are going to have a shot to upset the Black Knights.

Breakout watch: Keep an eye on wide receiver Grant Wallace. He had a solid game last week, finishing with seven catches for 67 yards. He also had a touchdown called back on a pass interference call. Roberts spoke very highly of Wallace coming into the season and the two had a clear connection in the spring and during preseason camp. Watch out for a breakout game for Wallace.

Contain the run: Army will use its triple option and run, run and run some more. That’s no secret. Yale’s young defense will need to find a way to maintain the line of scrimmage and try to force Army to throw some. The Black Knights attempted just five passes against Wake Forest last week. 

Festivities: The Army-Yale meeting is more than just a football game. Who knows when these rivals will ever meet again. Along with a free concert featuring both school bands at Woolsey Hall on Friday night, 1,000 cadets will march to Yale Bowl and paratroopers will drop in from helicopters with game balls. The halftime show will likely be the best of the season. So enjoy it all, Yale fans.

NEW HAVEN >> Each spring, the Yale football team’s rising seniors take a trip to Gettysburg with retired U.S. Army four-star general Stanley McChrystal.

They leave all cell phones, friends and outside distractions behind. The purpose is to bond, learn and grow.

Yale senior running back Tyler Varga is among the semifinalists for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame William V. Campbell Trophy.

The award is given to the top football scholar-athletes. Winners will be announced on Oct. 30.

Brown’s Dan Giovacchini and Harvard’s Mike Mancinelli are the only semifinalists from the Ivy League.

Yale celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl on Saturday against Army at 1 p.m.

What's your prediction for this historic rivalry? List your prediction below...

During the week of each home football game, a Yale all-era team will be announced. It’s part of the Yale Bowl 100th anniversary celebration.


Below is the 1938-58 team, courtesy of Yale athletics…

Barzilauskas, Fritz '47m, G

Hometown: Waterbury, CT

6-1, 230

Notes:

- Transfer from Holy Cross

- Lettered for Yale in 1945 and 1946

- 1946 All-American

- Third overall pick in the 1947 NFL draft by the Boston Yanks

- Served in the Air force in WWII


Coker, Gene '58, FB

Hometown: Albany, Texas

6-0, 200


Notes:

- Had 110 of Yale's 225 rush yards in 21-7 win over Harvard as sophomore

- All-American and First-Team All-Ivy 1957

- Topped all Bulldogs in rush yards in 1957


Jackson, Levi '50, FB

Hometown: New Haven, CT

5-10, 188


Notes:

- Captain 1949

- First African American to play for Yale

- Leading Rusher for Yale in 1946, 1948, 1949

- 1946 All-American

- Also lettered in Basketball


Kroll, Alex '59, C

Hometown: Leechburg, PA

6-2, 218


Notes:

- Lettered at Yale in 1956

- Transferred to Rutgers

- All American in 1961

- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997


Lopata, Paul '57e, E

Hometown: E. Vandergrift, PA

6-1, 202


Notes:

- All-American in 1956

- First team All-Ivy in 1957

- Drafted 93 overall by Washington in the 1957 NFL draft


Loucks, Dean '57, S

Hometown: White Plains, NY

6-1, 192


Notes:

- Led the Elis in total offense in 1954 with 556 yards

- Was the leading passer for Yale in 1954, 1955, 1956

- Coached at Fordham from 1972 - 1974


McGill, Denny '57e, HB

Hometown: North Bergen, NJ

5-10, 169


Notes:

- All-Ivy in 1955

- All-American in 1956

- Ran for 463 yards on 71 carries in 55

- Tied for total offense for the Elis in 55


Walker, Paul '46e, E

Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

6-3, 208


Notes:

- First Team All-American in 1944

- Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1945

- Played for the New York Giants in 1948

- Played basketball and baseball at Yale


Winterbauer, Dick '58, QB-P

Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL

6-1, 187


Notes:

-Averaged 43.1 yards per punt with a long of 63 yards in 1955

-Threw for 13 Touchdowns and 930 total yards in 1957

- First team All-Ivy 1957

- All-American in 1957

NEW HAVEN >> The Yale-Army rivalry is one rich with history and tradition.

The programs, which are two of the most storied in college football, first met in 1893. A crowd of 80,000 at the Yale Bowl, the biggest in Bulldogs history, watched as Yale beat Army 31-10 in 1923. The last time they met in 1996. Army coasted to a 39-13 victory.

The series has had many special moments, and now Yale and Army will get a chance to add another chapter to it.

Some additional news and notes...

Offensive improvements

Reno: “Do we feel we have all the personnel we need? No. But we’re close. So you’ll see more of what we did Saturday: stretch the field sideline to sideline and endline to endline. I think one of the things that does, gives the chance for our running backs to affect the game in positive way. When you run the ball, it makes things easier on the perimeter.”

Army connections

Yale CB Spencer Rymiszewski’s father, Phil, played football for Army from 1978-80…Kicker Kyle Cazzetta’s father, Vin, was an athletic administrator at Army. Cazzetta, who grew up 25 minutes from West Point, nearly signed with Army until Yale’s offer came in at the last moment his senior season of high school…Army OL Steve Shumaker is from Milford.

Scouting report

The Black Knights are a veteran skilled team. Their triple option presents issues for opposing defenses. Their top three rushers, Larry Dixon, Angel Santiago and Terry Baggett, are all seniors. They are experienced, fast and physical. Army is big up front on the offensive line and get into the second level quickly.

Defensively, the Black Knights bring a variety of looks and pressure.

Ivy League schedule

Here’s a look at this week’s Ivy League schedule…

Army at Yale, 1 pm [FCS]
Villanova at Penn, 3 pm [ILDN]
*Harvard at Brown, 6 pm [ILDN]
Columbia at Albany, 6 pm [TIME WARNER]
Cornell at Bucknell, 6 pm
Dartmouth at New Hampshire, 6 pm
Davidson at Princeton, 6 pm [ILDN]

Here are some notes off of Tuesday’s media luncheon heading into this week’s game against Army…

Reno on win over Lehigh

Reno: “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this team. You really don’t know who you are coming into that first game. I guess being down 21-0 with 6 minutes to go in the first quarter, we we’re going to figure it out. The guys kept following the process and staying within the play and you felt the calmness on the sideline. That’s something I haven’t seen in my three years here. I was hoping they would stay with it and they did. I think it says a lot about our guys. We were able to show we had some depth. That was key in the fourth quarter when Tyler Varga was able to rip off some runs. And we were able to rotate seven WRs in.”

Reno on the defense

Reno: “We have a lot of physical work to do as well. We need to do a better job of tackling in space and getting off blocks better in space. But most of the mistakes are mental.”

Stat change

Deon Randall scored late in the first quarter on a 20-yard play. It was originally ruled a run by Randall. But after further review, that play has been changed to a pass. Reno said it was a designed pass play. That change puts quarterback Morgan Roberts at 30-of-39 passing for 376 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Randall now has 14 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

Future games vs. Army

Reno said Yale would love to play against Army again and at West Point in the future. But it’s not that easy. It’s a very complicated process that includes obtaining a waiver from the NCAA to count the game toward bowl eligibility since Army is a scholarship school and Yale is not.

ESPN College Game Day

ESPN may have snubbed the Yale-Army game, as it is headed to South Carolina for College Game Day this weekend. But it isn’t totally neglecting the storied rivalry and the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl. Producers will spend some time down at the Bowl this week for a feature on the historic venue for Saturday’s show. ESPN writer Gene Wojciechowski will also be writing a feature on the Yale-Army rivalry.

Book signing

Author Rich Marazzi will be at the Yale Bookstore on Friday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., signing copies of his book, “A Bowl Full of Memories: 100 Years of Football at the Yale Bowl.”

Marazzi will also be at Campus Customs in New Haven from 5-6 p.m. on Saturday and he will be selling books on game day by Portal 17 at Bowl.

Marazzi’s coffee table book is filled with photos and tells the rich history of Yale football and the Yale Bowl through narrative and first-person stories. He interviewed coaches, fans, sports media and over 100 players.

The book is sold at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, the Yale Bookstore and Campus Customs.

Army Black Knights

When: Saturday 1 p.m. at the Yale Bowl

Record: 1-2

All-time series: Yale leads 21-16-8

Last week: Wake Forest scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth to come from behind and beat Army. The Black Knights rushed for over 340 yards. 

Top players: QB Angel Santiago (41 ypg, 0 TDs, 0 INT), Ray Maples (three receptions, 78 yards), RB Larry Dixon (108.7 ypg, three TDs), LB Jeremy Timpf (29 tackles, five TFL, one INT).

From the Ivy League...

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Dartmouth junior quarterback Dalyn Williams (Corinth, Texas) guided the Big Green to its fifth-consecutive, opening-day victory in a 35-25 victory over visiting Central Connecticut State. Williams completed 14-of-24 passes for 216 yards while matching a career best with three touchdown tosses, plus added 75 yards on the ground on 11 carries, the penultimate of which was a 28-yard scoring scamper. His first scoring strike on an 18-yard screen pass put the first points of the game on the board. He then proceeded to rally the Big Green from a 19-12 deficit in the third quarter with touchdown tosses of 20 and 19 yards before capping the scoring with his run to the end zone.

Yale junior quarterback Morgan Roberts (Charlotte) helped the Bulldogs overcome a 21-point deficit with a record-setting comeback in a 54-43 a season-opening win against Lehigh. Roberts led Yale to the biggest comeback at the Yale Bowl in school history by completing 30-of-39 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns, while connecting with seven different receivers. He rushed seven times for 29 yards including a five-yard scoring run. Roberts helped his squad pile up 683 yards of offense and 31 first downs as Yale posted its eighth-consecutive victory to open the season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Harvard junior linebacker Matt Koran (Joliet, Ill.) accounted for a career-high 10 tackles in the Crimson's 41-18 victory over Holy Cross. Koran led the team in stops and also had one of the key plays in the game. With Harvard leading 20-18 with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter, he forced a fumble, picked it up and returned it for six yards to the Holy Cross 18-yard line, giving the Crimson great field position. On the next play, Harvard scored a touchdown to go up 27-18 and never looked back.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Yale senior placekicker/punter Kyle Cazzetta (Slate Hill, N.Y.) connected on both of his field goal attempts in critical situations and was a perfect 6-of-6 on PATs in the Bulldogs' come-from-behind win over Lehigh. Cazzetta hit a 41 yarder midway through the second quarter to bring Yale within five, 28-23. He added his second make from 37 yards out with seven seconds remaining right before halftime. That field goal swung the momentum to Yale putting up 17 unanswered points and taking the lead for good.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Penn freshman punter Hunter Kelly (Huntington Beach, Calif.) averaged 42.0 yards on six punts and pinned two inside the 20-yard line in the Quakers' 34-31 loss at Jacksonville. Two of Kelly’s punts went for more than 50 yards, including a career-long 58 yarder. On his first career punt, Kelly turned a bad snap into a Penn fumble recovery. He leaped high to haul in a high snap and got the punt away which the Quakers recovered on the muffed return. With the game on the line and under three minutes to play, Kelley booted a 52 yarder through the driving rain to pin Jacksonville on its own 13-yard line.

HONOR ROLL
Toba Akinleye, Columbia (Jr., DL - Brooklyn, N.Y.)
11 tkls. (8 solo), 2.0 TFL, 2.0 Sacks

Andrew Casten, Harvard (Sr., RB - Brick Township, N.J.)
17 car. for 153 yds., 3 TDs

Seth DeValve, Princeton (Jr., WR - Manchester, Conn.)
9 rec. for 123 yds., 1 TD

Troy Donahue, Dartmouth (Sr., DB - Greenwood Village, Colo.)
14 tkls. (8 solo)

Ryan McManus, Dartmouth (Sr., WR - Mendota Heights, Minn.)
6 rec. for 117 yds., 1 TD

Miles Norris, Cornell (So., LB - Baltimore)
13 tkls. (6 solo), 2.0 TFL, 2.0 Sacks

Xavier Russo, Brown (Sr., LB - San Francisco)
10 tkls. (9 solo), 2.0 TFL, 1.0 Sack

Mike Zeui, Princeton (Sr., LB - Marlton, N.J.)
9 tkls. (8 solo), 4.5 TFL, 2.0 Sacks

ESPN College Game Day passed on Yale and will be headed for the Missouri-South Carolina game next weekend.

Yale was a finalist to host the ESPN college football show on Saturday when the Bulldogs take on Army to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl.

Tweets by @Chris_Hunn

4-down Friday is back. Here is a look at four things to keep an eye on in Yale’s season opener against Lehigh at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Bowl.

Under center: Morgan Roberts will be the starting quarterback when the Bulldogs open their season on Saturday. The talk is that Roberts is much improved and really made strides in the offseason. The offense around him is healthy and talented. Roberts will get his chance Saturday to prove he was worthy of the hype.

A healthy Varga: There were questions during preseason if standout running back Tyler Varga would even be ready for Yale’s opener because of a foot injury. The Bulldogs breathed a sigh of relief when Varga came back to New Haven for camp and looked like his old self. Varga was held out of the Brown preseason scrimmage as a precaution. He’s a tough, physical runner, so it will be interesting to see how he holds up in his first game back.

Kicking game: Yale struggled with its kicking accuracy during the preseason. This will be critical, as Yale can’t afford to leave points like this on the field. Kyle Cazzetta won the battle for field goal duties.

Young defense: With seven freshmen on the two-deep defense, the Bulldogs are young. They will certainly be challenged in week one against a battle-tested Lehigh team that loves to run the ball.

During the week of each home football game, a Yale all-era team will be announced. It’s part of the Yale Bowl 100th anniversary celebration. 

Below is the 1914-37 team, courtesy of Yale athletics…



Clinton Black '17s, G

Hometown: New York, New York

· Captain 1916

· Served in the Navy in World War I

· Consensus First-Team All-American 1916



Albie Booth '32s, HB

Hometown: New Haven, CT

· Scored all of Yale's points as a sophomore in the comeback win (21-13) against Army in 1929

· Nicknamed Yale's Little Boy Blue

· 1931 All-American



Bruce Caldwell '28, HB

Hometown: Ashton, RI

· 1927 All-American

· Signed with the Cleveland Indians after Yale

· Played with the New York (football) Giants in 1928



Clint Frank '38, HB

Hometown: Evanston, IL

· 1937 Heisman Trophy Winner

· 19 carries for 190 yards against Princeton (26-0 win) in 1937

· Two-time All-American

· Team Captain

· Drafted by the Detroit Lions but did not play



Artemus Gates '18, T

Hometown: Clinton, Iowa

· Captain Elect of the 1917 team

· Served in the Navy during World War I in Yale's First Unit



Larry Kelley '37, E

Hometown: Conneaut, Ohio

· 1936 Heisman Trophy Winner

· All-American

· Drafted by the Detroit Lions but did not play



William Mallory '28, FB

Hometown: Memphis, TN

· Captained 1923 team

· All-American in 1923

· Helped Yale go 8-1 in 1921 and 8-0 in 1923

· Since 1954, Yale's top senior male athletic award has been named after him



Century Milstead '26, T

Hometown: Allegheny, PA

· All-American in 1923

· Inducted into the College hall of fame in 1977

· Played for the New York Giants in the late 1920s



Ducky Pond '25, HB

Hometown: Torrington, CT

· 1924 All-American

· Head coach at Yale from 1934-1940

Yale opens its season on Saturday at the Bowl against battle-tested Lehigh (0-2) at 1 p.m.

What's your prediction for the Bulldogs season opener? List your prediction below...

Some more notes for this week...

Scouting Lehigh

The Mountain Hawks are strong up front on both sides. They’re committed to the run and RB Brandon Yosha and QB Nick Shafnisky get most of the carries. Defensively, the shuffle in and out of odd and even fronts. Lehigh does not pressure a lot. It does have good speed on the perimeter. The Mountain Hawks are battle tested after opening the season with James Madison and New Hampshire.

Reno on size up front

“I’m happier. When I got here, we had one guy that was 270 lbs on the DL. The goal is to have six that are 270-275 lbs. We’re bigger than we’ve been. On the OL, we want to get taller.”

Eric Williams making progress

Williams has moved full time from QB to WR. It’s finally starting to click for the athletic Williams, who played some wide receiver in high school, too. Reno said he’s starting to see a steady incline and should provide some of the needed depth at WR if Yale is going to run its spread.

Biggest improvement

Deon Randall says he’s seen the most growth throughout the preseason on the defensive side. The Bulldogs played a handful of freshmen regularly on the defensive side last year. Randall says they’ve really made strides as a whole.

“Guys are understanding schemes better and there’s more awareness now,” Randall said.

Playing at the Bowl

Randall said his favorite part about playing at the Bowl is the grass.

“The grass is cut low,” he said. “As an offensive player, I know where to make my cuts. The defense isn’t used to playing on the grass and it gives me an advantage.”

With Yale and Brown the only teams in the Ivy League that have grass at their home fields, the Bulldogs will play seven games on grass this season.

This week’s Ivy schedule

Brown at Georgetown, Noon
Fordham at Columbia, 12:30 pm [ILDN]
Cornell at Colgate, 1 pm [TIME WARNER]
Penn at Jacksonville, 1 pm
Lehigh at Yale, 1 pm [ILDN]
Princeton at San Diego, 4 pm
Central Connecticut State at Dartmouth, 7 pm [ILDN]

NEW HAVEN >> Dante Chiappetta signed his national letter of intent last week to play football at Yale.

He took part in his first press conference sporting a Bulldogs jersey and helmet. He posed for pictures and high-fived some of his new teammates. He even showed off his arm, completing a couple of passes to tight end Jackson Stallings.

Read the rest of the story.