Not since Nate Lawrie was drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft has a Yale player heard his name called on draft day.

That could all change on Saturday as fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm and defensive end Tom McCarthy have drawn interest from NFL squads.

Bannon ran the 40 in 4.69 seconds in front of NFL scouts last month and was right in that range both at Yale's pro day and when he worked out for agent Joe Linta. Now Linta believes there's a very good chance that Bannon will be drafted on Saturday on the final day of the draft.

"He had a great workout. Then I got his highlight film and there was no question he was a draft pick. In my opinion, he is better in my opinion than the kid from Stanford, Owen Marecic. At that point I started calling around like a crazy person. A lot of the teams called me back right away."

Linta estimated that 14 teams have expressed an interest in Bannon.

"He is the No. 1 guy in the country in terms of combination of size and speed," Linta said. "That is the most compelling thing. He is 25-30 pounds heavier than a lot of the fullbacks and he is at least a tenth or two tenths (in the 40) faster than all of them. If we have free agency Saturday night in case Shane doesn't get drafted, I can guarantee you - I'll give you $100,000 - that he will sign, it is lock."

That's not bad for a player who was pondering skipping the 2010 season to allow his ailing shoulder to recover.

Bannon was able to get a clean bill of health and became a key component on Yale's offense as the starting fullback. Although he did not carry the ball, he did catch 13 passes and opened up the holes so Yale's top three rushers (Alex Thomas, Mordecai Cargill and Deon Randall) combined to average 4.6 yards per carry.

When the season ended, Bannon worked out diligently with Blohm, Adam Money and Sean Williams and now the dream of playing in the NFL is close to becoming a reality.

"I think going into my junior year was the first time Coach (Tom) Williams had mentioned that he thought I had the ability to play at the next level," Bannon said. "I think from there, the shoulder (injury) put me back a little bit not really being sure if I was going to have to redshirt or not. This year, not missing any time, not missing any practice it was great. My doctors did a great job on my shoulder and I didn't have any issues, never second guessed it. This season I felt like I developed myself and put enough on film to put me in a pretty good position to try to get to the next level.

"I think it is great, especially that I have had somebody to work out with. Blohmer, Money and Sean Williams to work out with has been great. It is really easy to lose focus through this whole thing because it is such a long process, you work 12 weeks, you have a 12-week workout regiment. It has been even harder since pro day with individual team workouts, doing extra conditioning under our strength coach. It has been awesome."

McCarthy graduated in December so he has been working out in New Jersey. Like Bannon, he got bigger and faster since the end of the season. At the Fordham pro day, McCarthy put on a show. At Yale pro day, he only did selected drills but still when the event ended, the New England Patriots scout on site asked McCarthy for his contact information. McCarthy has worked out for about 10 teams and 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive ends who run 4.7 40-yard dashes tend to draw interest from NFL teams and that is the case with McCarthy.

"Teams have called me in the past few days to verify my contact information for draft day so I take that as a good sign," McCarthy said.

McCarthy was drawing interest from Division III schools before Yale began recruiting McCarthy. Now he is perhaps only a couple days from possibly hearing his name called in the NFL draft,

"I think I am going to be pretty anxious that day," McCarthy said. "If I get drafted, it will be in one of the later rounds. I will be sitting around all day playing the waiting game. I am sure I will be looking at the clock and I am sure it will be going by pretty slowly.

"I can't even begin to imagine what that will be like. I won't be able to say for sure what that will be like until if it happens I guess. obviously I'll be very excited at the opportunity to play in the NFL but other than that, it is something I won't know until it happens."

Blohm, a native of San Francisco, worked out for the San Francisco 49ers recently. It doesn't hurt that the 49ers have 12 picks in the draft, more than another other team.

"His best chance (of being drafted) would be the 49ers in the sense that they were the last team to see him in person," said John J. Perez, who is representing Blohm and former Yale defensive back Adam Money.

"He has done everything we have asked him to do. His film is very strong. He is a very consistent player, a steady blocker. That is his strength, he is a prototype NFL kind of blocking tight end. I think he has better than average, above average receiving skills when they put him through the workouts and watch the film. He had limited opportunities in the Yale offense but he catches the ball when it is thrown to him. I think he fits that role as a blocking tight end, No. 2 tight end in the red zone. There are teams who are looking for those guys. Jacksonville, a run-orientated team, New York Giants, the Patriots play with multiple tight ends, Miami Dolphins are looking for a tight end. Teams that are communicating with the (Yale football) office and us are teams that are in need of tight ends and specifically blocking tight ends. It is going to be the right fit for him and nobody really knows what is going to happen.

"If this was a normal year, i would say that he is an undrafted rookie free agent but with this year what we hear is maybe teams will start reaching in that seventh round and try to collect extra picks to kind of dip into those rookie free agent guys and try to gobble them up in the seventh round because they just don't know whether they can offer them contracts after the draft. There could be a surprise for Chris. It would be a great surprise for him, his family and Yale. I think most likely if everything is normal, he is a guy after the draft."

At the request of the Yale coaching staff, Perez was asked to look at Money and liked what he saw.

"There has been a last minute rush (of interest in Money)," Perez said. "From Adam's pro day there was a buzz with him as well in terms of the numbers he put up, the speed numbers, quickness. We reviewed the film, liked him, met with him and represent him too. He is more of a long shot but you never know."

The NFL draft begins on Thursday with the first round. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday with rounds 4-7 on Saturday.

If more than one former Bulldog is taken, it would be the first time that has happened since Eric Johnson and Than Merrill were taken on consecutive picks in the 2001 draft. Three Yale products have not been taken in the same draft since 1982.

"I think there is a great chance that all three could be drafted and at the very least, two of the three will be drafted," said Yale coach Tom Williams, who was an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars before coming to Yale.

"I will be as anxious as they are. I will definitely be watching. The NFL draft is something I get drawn into so I will be watching and I will certainly be keeping in touch with those kids and keeping my fingers crossed that it will work out the way they want it to."

Former Yale fullback/h-back Shane Bannon is working out with the Chicago Bears today.

Bannon, who opened some eyes with strong performances at a couple of pro days last month, had previously worked out with the Green Bay Packers and more than one national publication has proclaimed Bannon to be one of the sleepers in the draft.

Bannon was one of five Yale players who worked out in front of scouts for the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

Defensive end Tom McCarthy had an impressive showing at Fordham's pro day while tight end Chris Blohm, linebacker Sean Williams and defensive back Adam Money are also on the radar of NFL teams.

I just got off the phone with John J. Perez, an agent who represents Blohm and he recently added Money as a client.

With the five former Bulldogs aren't showing up on many of the prospect databases on the internet, there is a chance that a team takes a chance on them late in the draft. I could be way off base but I truly think McCarthy could get drafted and it's possible that Bannon and Blohm would hear their names called on Saturday when the draft wraps up.

If that is the case, it would be the first time since 1982 that three Yale players were drafted as Jeff Rohrer went in the second round to Dallas, Rich Diana to the fifth round to Miami and Curt Grieve to Philadelphia in the sixth round.

Look for a story in the Register later this week, perhaps as early as Thursday, on Yale's NFL draft prospects.

Yale's annual Blue-White spring game will be played on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. at the Yale Bowl.

As has been the case during his tenure, Yale football coach Tom Williams is using the event as much as a practice as a scrimmage. There will not be split squads but will be plenty of series with the top offensive and defensive units butting heads.

"We will feature situational football," Williams said. "Our spring game for us is like another practice day, put all those young guys in situations were we can evaluate them and see what they can do for in the fall."

Obviously the personnel will be a bit different without receivers Jordan Forney and Gio Christodoulou (who is taking the spring off but will return in the fall), tight ends Chris Blohm and Caleb Smith, fullback Shane Bannon, center Jake Koury and tackle Alex Golubiewski among the key losses on offense. Defensive ends Tom McCarthy and Sean Williams, defensive tackle Joe Young, linebacker Jesse Reising, cornerback Chris Stanley and safety Adam Money will need to be replaced on the defensive side of the ball. But don't expect to see a change in philosophy or schemes in an attempt to replace the graduating seniors.

"It will be a lot of the same stuff," Williams said. "We are hoping we can throw the ball down the field a little bit more, our protection is better when our first five is out there. We may take some more shots down the field. We have expanded our offensive package so we have more run plays that we want to feature so we can take advantage of the skill set of our running backs. We will have a better intermediate passing game also. We thought last year we either took shots or took short passes. We want to be able to attack the middle of field a little more."

BANNON, MCCARTHY OPENING SOME EYES
The NFL draft is less than a week away from kicking off and there's a chance that a Yale player or players could be drafted for the first time since 2004.

Bannon, Blohm and McCarthy have put themselves very much on the radar of NFL teams with impressive workouts and strong efforts at pro days.

In an article on SI.com, Bannon and McCarthy are mentioned among 12 small school sleepers

ANOTHER BIG TURNOUT AT BONE MARROW DRIVE
Yale's annual bone marrow registry drive was a major hit once again as nearly 900 showed up to have their cheeks swabbed so they could join the registry.

The drive began as a way of trying to find a match for leukemia stricken Yale women's hockey player Mandi Schwartz. Although no match could be found and cancer ended Schwartz's life earlier this month, her spirit lives on. Six matches were found courtesy of the first two drives and it would be a fitting legacy for Mandi that her memory and inspiration will result in saving more lives.

Tight end Chris Blohm didn't waste much time making an impression in front of New England Patriots scout James Liipfert and Ray Walsh Jr. of the New York Giants.

Blohm benched 225 pounds 30 times at Yale's pro day on Thursday and also was the only participant to clear 10 feet in the broad jump, maxing out at 10-1 throw in a 35 inch vertical leap and 40-yard dash times of 4.89 and 4.91 and it's easy to understand why Green Bay and Atlanta are among the teams showing interest in Blohm.

"It's been intense," Blohm said. "I was hoping to hit the number, the magic number (30 on the bench press) so it was exciting to get it. I am excited to see what happens and hoping for some positive reaction to these numbers. I was pretty pleased with all of them. The 40 was a question mark and it turned out to be OK. I am going to keep working out with these guys (fellow Yale seniors Shane Bannon, Tom McCarthy, Adam Money and Sean Williams) and (Yale''s head strength and conditioning coach) Emil (Johnson) and wait to see if there is any feedback."

While Blohm took part in every drill, Bannon, McCarthy and Williams picked their spots since all three had strong performances at other pro days.

"It's hard when you are an Ivy League guy," Yale defensive line coach Duane Brooks said. "I think all these guys can get in (camps). Tommy had the breakout at Fordham's (pro day). Blohm had a great day today and Bannon (Wednesday in Tolland). The question is can they get into a camp. The Jaguars and Miami are in the (Yale football) office. Tommy's going down to Jacksonville, Blohmer is probably going to San Francisco at some point. Detroit called, Atlanta called because when your numbers hit, people want to be involved. Money is a wild card guy. He is a guy who can do a lot of things and it's something he didn't think about before. It is a lot to think about. I think Tom (Williams, Yale's head football coach and a former assistant coach with the Jaguars), the way he talks to us, the way we practice it gives you a feel of what that life can be if that's what you want. Who thought about Shane Bannon (as an NFL prospect) and all of a sudden he is on the radar."

McCarthy's stock has been soaring since a standout effort at Fordham's pro day earlier this month. Before leaving on Thursday, McCarthy gave Liipfert his e-mail address, a pretty good indication that the Patriots are interested. Jacksonville and the Giants head the teams who have reached out to McCarthy and he is expected to have private workouts for both teams next month.

Bannon had a strong effort on Wednesday at a pro day in Tolland highlighted by a 4.69 clocking in the 40 and testing out well in the agility drills as well. He made a brilliant one-handed catch during pass receiving drills on Thursday.

"It is kind of a relief," Bannon said. "It is kind of emotional being here doing this after all this time. It is something we dream of and the fact that we got to do it was pretty awesome. For my size, my numbers are right where I wanted them to be. I am pretty pleased what I was able to do and accomplish these past couple of days."

Former Xavier High star Shea Dwyer, who set Wesleyan's single season record for rushing yards, as well as Southern Connecticut State defensive back Richard Kirkland also took part in the pro day on Thursday.

Yale will be having its junior pro day on Saturday with quarterback Patrick Witt, running back Alex Thomas, defensive linemen Jake Stoller and Pat Moran and linebacker Jordan Haynes expected to go through many of the same drills their former Yale teammates went through on Thursday.

Yale officially released its spring practice schedule and it will begin on April 4 and wrap up on Apr. 23 at 2 p.m. with the spring game which will start at 2 p.m. at the Yale Bowl.

This is kind of the calm before the storm with spring practice just under three weeks away from starting but I do have some news to deliver.

Yale did get a commitment from John Dunion, an offensive lineman from Dos Pueblos High in Santa Barbara, Calif. Dunion is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds who was named to the CIF Southern Section's All-Western Division first team. Here is a link to a page with two videos taken of Dunion. He is the seventh offensive lineman to commit to Yale.

It sounds like that will be the last commitment for a while and although there are some other candidates for Yale's incoming freshman class, there's a chance Yale could finish with the current 28 committed players.

I am hearing that Arizona is making a push for former Duke defensive lineman Tevin Hood. Hood, who walked on at Duke and appeared in four games as a freshman, has visited Yale and met with the coaching staff. However, at the current time it seems like Hood is giving serious consideration to accepting a scholarship to Arizona.

Spring practice opens on April 4 at Yale with the spring game on April 24. Former starting defensive lineman Pat Moran is back enrolled at school and will be taking part in drills. The biggest position switch is John Oppenheimer moving from defensive line to offensive line. Oppenheimer has some experience playing center in high school and the rising sophomore could contend for a starting spot since Yale wants to keep starting guard Gabe Fernandez where he is and Jeff Fell is expected to be in the running for a starting offensive tackle position.

Yale's pro day is March 24 with scouts coming to see fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive end Tom McCarthy, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams. Word of McCarthy's impressive workout at Fordham's pro day is beginning to spread as Yale football coach Tom Williams has heard from three NFL general managers. It's too early to tell if he will follow the path of Eric Johnson who went from sleeper to late round draft pick after strong workouts but if McCarthy improves on some of his numbers from the Fordham pro day, it's not out of the question that a team takes a flyer on McCarthy late in the draft.

Tom McCarthy, the captain of the 2010 Yale football team, opened the eyes of some NFL scouts at Fordham University on Tuesday.

McCarthy, who bulked up to 265 pounds since graduating from Yale in December, had strong showings in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump as scouts from 16 NFL teams were in attendance.

As a point of reference, if McCarthy had performed the same at the NFL combine, his 40 time of 4.72 seconds would rank 10th among the 25 defensive ends and 13th among the 25 linebackers. His 35-inch vertical would have placed him sixth among defensive ends and eighth among linebackers while his 10-2 broad jump would be third among defensive ends and fourth among linebackers. His results are extremely similar to Mississippi State's K.J. Wright and Michigan State's Greg Jones, a pair of linebackers who are rated among the top 75 draft prospects in some databases. McCarthy also benched 225 pounds 19 times, had a time of 4.48 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and did the 3-cone drill in 7.27 seconds.

"I think I was happy with my body weight," McCarthy said. "I played at 248 or 250 (at Yale) so to put on 15 pounds in those two or three months and still have good times and do well in the running and jumping, it was a really good sign."

Much like the Yale pro day last year, the number of participants made it challenging for the scouts to focus on all the prospects. However, as the scouts cut the list from the initial group of 31 to about 15 and then to about 8 or 10, McCarthy was impressive enough to be asked to work out until the very end.

"I got the sense that a lot of the scouts were pretty impressed," McCarthy said. "I think the scouts were looking at the tight end at Fordham (Stephen Skelton) but by the end of the day, I'd say I had some good conversations with the scouts. I don't know the number but there were several. I went through the defensive line drills. They had me in different linebacking drills because I don't really have the bulk to play as a defensive end in the 3-4 so in the 3-4 they project me as an outside linebacker. That was really the first time doing any drills from the standup position. I had a lot of fun with it. I just like fooling around and showing off my athleticism. I think it went pretty well, especially for a first timer reading, reacting, getting to the quarterback."

Speaking of the Yale pro day, it will be on Mar. 24 and unlike last year when players from throughout the East showed up, it appears as it will be limited to Yale players. McCarthy said that fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams are planning to work out for the scouts.

"It's a chaotic process, everything is up in the air and dependent on workouts and the numbers that I put up," said McCarthy, who had 31 tackles and four sacks in seven games as a senior at Yale. "It is really a play it by ear situation and I have to take it day by day right now.

"I am kind of at a loss for words. My senior year, I never would have expected this. It is a very exciting process. A few years ago, if somebody told me I was going to be in this position, I would have told them they were crazy. I am enjoying the process, working hard towards my goal of playing in the NFL."

Junior linebacker and leading tackler Jordan Haynes, senior defensive end and team captain Tom McCarthy and senior safety Adam Money were named to the All-Ivy League first team.

Haynes, elected the captain of the 2011 Yale team, had 102 tackles, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and 10 tackles for losses. McCarthy had 31 tackles, four sacks and forced three fumbles despite missing three games while Money had 37 tackles and three interceptions.

Yale junior quarterback Patrick Witt, whose 2,216 yards were the third highest single-season total in Yale history, junior running back Alex Thomas (710 rushing yards), senior tight end Chris Blohm (26 receptions) and sophomore receiver Chris Smith (team-best 46 catches) were second-team selections. Smith actually was a second-team pick both as a receiver and as a return specialist. Senior center Jake Koury, senior defensive end Sean Williams and junior cornerback Drew Baldwin were honorable mention selections.

Former Cheshire High star Billy Ragone was one of nine players to Ivy League champion Penn named to the first team. Ironically, the other first-team quarterback was fellow sophomore and Connecticut native Sean Brackett as the Columbia QB starred scholastically at Griswold High.

Princeton receiver Trey Peacock, Harvard defensive lineman Josue Ortiz, Harvard defensive back Collin Zych and Dartmouth return specialist Shawn Abuhoff were the only unanimous first-team selections while Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews was the unanimous selection as the league's rookie of the year.

The Yale players I thought would have garnered at least honorable mention honors not on the list are junior guard Gabe Fernandez and sophomore linebacker Will McHale.

Here's the complete list
FIRST TEAM ALL-IVY
Offense
OL -- Patrick Conroy, Brown
OL -- Jeff Adams, Columbia
OL -- Ryan O’Neill, Dartmouth
OL -- Joe D’Orazio, Penn
OL -- Luis Ruffolo, Penn
OL -- Greg Van Roten, Penn
QB -- Sean Brackett, Columbia
QB -- Billy Ragone, Penn
RB -- Nick Schwieger, Dartmouth
RB -- Gino Gordon, Harvard
FB -- Luke DeLuca, Penn
WR -- Alexander Tounkara, Brown
WR -- Tim McManus, Dartmouth
WR -- Trey Peacock, Princeton*
TE -- Andrew Kennedy, Columbia

Defense
DL -- Charles Bay, Dartmouth
DL -- Josue Ortiz, Harvard*
DL -- Brandon Copeland, Penn
DL -- Tom McCarthy, Yale
LB -- Alex Gross, Columbia
LB -- Erik Rask, Penn
LB -- Zack Heller, Penn
LB -- Jordan Haynes, Yale
DB -- A.J. Cruz, Brown
DB -- Calvin Otis, Columbia
DB -- Shawn Abuhoff, Dartmouth
DB -- Collin Zych, Harvard*
DB -- Josh Powers, Penn
DB -- Adam Money, Yale

Special Teams
PK -- Patrick Jacob, Princeton
P -- Drew Alston, Cornell
RS -- Shawn Abuhoff, Dartmouth*


SECOND TEAM ALL-IVY
Offense
OL -- Brian Ellixson, Brown
OL -- Austen Fletcher, Dartmouth
OL -- Chris LeRoy, Harvard
OL -- Kevin Murphy, Harvard
OL -- Ben Osborne, Harvard
OL -- Drew Luango, Penn
QB -- Patrick Witt, Yale
RB -- Trevor Scales, Harvard
RB -- Brandon Colavita, Penn
RB -- Alex Thomas, Yale
WR -- Andrew Kerr, Princeton
WR -- Chris Smith, Yale
TE -- John Gallagher, Dartmouth
TE -- Chris Blohm, Yale

Defense
DL -- Jeremy Raducha, Brown
DL -- Josh Martin, Columbia
DL -- Chucks Obi, Harvard
DL -- Drew Goldsmith, Penn
LB -- Andrew Serrano, Brown
LB -- Alex Gedeon, Harvard
LB -- Nick Hasselberg, Harvard
LB -- Jon Olofsson, Princeton
DB -- Steve Peyton, Brown
DB -- Emani Fenton, Cornell
DB -- Matthew Hanson, Harvard
DB -- Matt Hamscher, Penn

Special Teams
PK -- Alexander Norocea, Brown
P -- Joe Cloud, Princeton
RS -- Chris Smith, Yale

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-IVY
OL -- Jack Geiger, Brown
OL -- Jared Mollenback, Penn
OL -- Jake Koury, Yale
RB -- Mark Kachmer, Brown
RB -- Jordan Culbreath, Princeton
HB -- Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard
WR -- Jimmy Saros, Brown
WR -- Nico Gutierrez, Columbia
WR -- Michael Reilly, Dartmouth
TE -- Nicolai Schwarzkopf, Harvard
TE -- Luke Nawrocki, Penn
DL -- Clay McGrath, Brown
DL -- Brian Wing, Penn
DL -- Mike Catapano, Princeton
DL -- Sean Williams, Yale
LB -- Chimoso Okoji, Brown
LB -- Zack Imhoff, Cornell
LB -- Luke Hussey, Dartmouth
LB -- Brian Levine, Penn
LB -- Andrew Starks, Princeton
DB -- Adam Mehrer, Columbia
DB -- Bradford Blackmon, Penn
DB -- Drew Baldwin, Yale
PK -- Foley Schmidt, Dartmouth
PK -- Andrew Samson, Penn
P -- Nate Lovett, Brown
P -- Scott Lopano, Penn
RS -- Bradford Blackmon, Penn

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
QB -- Jeff Mathews, Cornell*

*Unanimous Selection

Aided by three Columbia fumbles which resulted in 17 points, Yale leads 31-7 at halftime.

Adam Money had recovered two of the fumbles while Sean Williams has a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Yale has 245 yards of offense as Patrick Witt is 16 of 20 for 187 yards. He had touchdown passes of 10 and 15 yards to freshman Cameron Sandquist and 16 yards to sophomore Allen Harris. Alex Thomas had a 42-yard touchdown run on Yale's second offensive play.

Columbia has 102 yards of offense and 89 of them came on one drive which was capped by former Griswold High star Sean Brackett throwing an 8-yard TD pass to ex-Staples standout Andrew Kennedy.

The story of the game other has to be the complete turnaround by Yale's offensive and defensive lines. Brackett has only been sacked once but has been under duress the entire first half while Witt has received great protection for the most part.

One of the advantages of three straight Yale games being televised by YES is I can go back and look at specific plays or in this case calls by the officials.

There were four I was curious to see.

At first glance I thought offensive pass interference should have been called on a screen pass from Ryan Becker to Jeff Jack resulting in a 17-yard Penn touchdown in the second quarter. But the replay showed that the other receiver waited until Jack caught the ball before throwing his block.

I mentioned the questionable spot on Adam Money's interception return and believed it cost Yale 10 yards. I stand by that statement after seeing the flag for an illegal block on the 33 yard line. If Yale was penalized from that spot and then the 15 yards were marked off for Penn's personal-foul penalty, the Bulldogs should have received the ball at the 28 instead of the 38.

I wasn't sure about the pass interference called on Yale's first scoring drive of the fourth quarter. The only issue was that the official called out No. 2 as the party responsible for the pass interference when it was evident that it was No. 37 Jim McGoldrick guilty of practically undressing Yale's Jordan Forney and forcing him out of bounds while the ball was in the air.

Now for the holding call on Alex Golubiewski late in the first half which negated a 33-yard completion to the Penn 2, the replay was inconclusive. You could see Golubiewski turning Brandon Copeland but couldn't tell if Golubiewski's hands were outside Copeland's shoulder pads or if he did anything after the final portion of his block was not visible on camera.

That being said, the officiating did not decide this game. Three turnovers, costly penalties and giving up a punt return touchdown had a bigger impact on the game's outcome rather than any one official's call. Inconsistency on first down didn't help. Nine times Yale had a double-digit gain on first down but 12 times out of the 32 first down plays the first-down play went for either no gain or negative yardage.

Also, if you count the two sacks as passing plays (as they were obviously designed to be) instead of running plays as they go down as, Yale threw or attempted to throw the ball 56 times on 74 offensive plays. Considering that quarterback Patrick Witt missed the previous game with a shoulder injury and has dealt with hand and wrist injuries, it's amazing he was able to walk off the field under his own power. A power back like Mordecai Cargill (who missed the game after undergoing knee surgery) could have made a difference in establishing the run. But he's going to miss at least one more game. Yale ran the ball on half of its first 12 offensive plays and had eight designed rushing attempts by the end of the first quarter but 10 for the rest of the game. Nobody expected Yale to attempt to shove the ball down the throats of a Penn defense coming into the game ranked first in FCS in rushing defense but when the opponent doesn't have to respect the run, you might as well put a target on Witt's jersey.

Back on the topic of Money, here's the story I wrote on the senior safety

Caught the last hour of practice today and here are some of my impressions.

Receiver Jordan Forney had a spectacular practice catching the ball including making a catch of a ball thrown behind him that was - for a lack of a better term - very John Sheffield like. Gio Christodoulou, who missed most of last season with foot and ankle injuries, got behind the secondary for a long touchdown catch from Patrick Witt.

Yale coach Tom Williams said the Bulldogs are planning to play Forney, Christodoulou and Chris Smith together in three-receiver sets which must be music to Witt's ears. Williams is also expecting big things from rising senior tight end Chris Blohm and was raving about the offseason work done by tailbacks Alex Thomas and Mordecai Cargill. Williams said Thomas added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason while Cargill is bigger and faster.

Another offensive player drawing his praise is rising junior lineman Jeff Fell. The offensive line has been beset by injuries with Nathan Burow and Alex Golubiewski, who combined for 14 starts in 2009, both sidelined likely for the rest of the spring. Nate Blair hurt his right knee during a one-on-one drill.

There could be some offensive line reinforcements as Carter Deutsch moves over from the defensive line while former tight ends Roy Collins and Alex Birks are making the transition to offensive tackle.

Adam Money is moving from cornerback to safety with Kurt Stottlemyer, Collin Bibb and Russell Perkins among the leading candidates to start at corner across from Drew Baldwin. Austin Pulsipher moved from linebacker to defensive end and is vying for a starting job as the Bulldogs transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. Former safeties Jesse Reising and John Pagliaro are now linebackers and Reising would be on the two-deep chart if the season began tomorrow.

Yale seemed to have a plethora of defensive linemen so a move to the 4-3 makes sense. A player to watch is rising sophomore Chris Dooley who will likely move inside. Junior to be Jake Stoller seems to have put his shoulder issues which hindered his last two seasons behind him and could emerge into another impact player on the defensive line. With Pat Moran injured and captain Tom McCarthy taking the spring off so he can take advantage of a fifth year of eligibility in the fall out of the lineup, rising stars like Stoller, Dooley and Charles Holmes are getting plenty of chances to shine.

There have been some defections as fullback Josh Kozel and receiver Chris Morris are no longer with the team and receiver Peter Balsam is taking next year off but is planning to return for his senior season in 2011.

Also, former Oklahoma assistant recruiting coordinator David White is not joining the Yale staff. Don't know all the details but somewhere between being recommended for the tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator gig by Williams and getting the job, there was a snafu. A replacement for Mike Sanford, who left to become quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Western Kentucky, could be announced by the April 24 spring game.

Yale punter Tom Mante, defensive back Adam Money, linebacker Paul Rice and tight end John Sheffield were named to the All-Ivy League first team on Tuesday.

Mante, one of eight unanimous first team selections, led the league with a 41.2 punting average and had 10 punts of at least 50 yards.

Money, the first Yale junior named to the first team since running back Mike McLeod and linebacker Bobby Abare in 2007, had 43 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Rice led the 4-6 Bulldogs with 74 tackles and 9 1/2 tackles for losses while Sheffield had a team-leading 61 catches as a senior and his 126 career receptions is third all-time for the Bulldogs.

Defensive tackle Tom McCarthy was named to the second team as was Mante as a kicker while defensive lineman Joe Young and linebackers Travis Henry and Sean Williams were honorable mention selections.

Brown receiver Buddy Farnham and Penn linebacker Jake Lewko shared the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League player of the year while Harvard running back Treavor Scales was named the rookie of the year.

OK, that's the news of the day. Now for my two cents. The obvious Yale omissions were linebacker Tim Handlon (68 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles), center Jake Koury and defensive lineman Pat Moran. I was also surprised to see Mante on the second team as a kicker. He did become the first Ivy Leaguer with 50-yard field goals in consecutive games but also lost his kicking duties to Alex Barnes and finished 4 for 12 on field goals.

Also, if I were to cast a vote for rookie of the year, it would go to Brown cornerback AJ Cruz.

When he was announced as Yale's 133rd football captain, defensive tackle Tom McCarthy sat in his seat at the front of the room and did not move for several seconds. After getting over the shock of surviving four rounds of voting and beating out cornerback Adam Money, McCarthy rose from his seat and received a huge round of applause from his teammates.

"I never really expected this," McCarthy said. "Just to be elected with this group of guys, it is absolutely amazing. It is an honor."

The ironic part is that McCarthy will not be able to take part in spring drills. He missed the entire 2006 season mononucleosis and was granted a fifth year of eligibility. However, Ivy League rules stipulate that student-athletes can only be enrolled in eight semesters so he will need to skip the spring semester so he can enroll in the fall.

The awards were also given out. John Sheffield was named the Ted Blair Award winner as the team MVP while Paul Rice earned the award annually given to Yale's captain.

Here's the complete list of other award winners
Jordan Olivar Award (given to a senior other than the captain who has earned the most respect from his teammates): Larry Abare
Woody Knapp Memorial Trophy (player who typifies the cheerful disposition, leadership qualities and unselfish disposition to others): Brandon Scott
Robert Gardner Anderson Award (combination of skill, spirit and pride in accomplishment): Reid Lathan and Max Newton.
Norman S. Hall Memorial Trophy (given to an individual for outstanding service to Yale football): Tim Handlon
Gregory Dubinetz Memorial Trophy (linemen who exemplified the spirit of Dubinetz): Cory Palmer
Charley Loftus Award (most valuable freshmen): Mordecai Cargill and John Powers
Chester J. Laroche Award (given to senior who did the most for Yale): Rich Scudellari
Ledyard Mitchell Award (for proficiency in kicking): Tom Mante
Ted Turner Award (top offensive lineman): Cory Palmer
Keppel Award (given to offensive back who exemplified Keppel's work ethic, pride and dedication to Yale football): Rodney Reynolds
LoProto Award (awarded to defensive back who exemplies LoProto's passion and competitive spirit): Adam Money

Also, Tom McCarthy was named the top defensive lineman, Mante the top specialist and Travis Henry the winner of the Hammer Award.

From former Yale star Jon Reese's empassioned remarks to Reynolds' comical impersonation of Yale running back coach Rod Plummer, it was a memorable event.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Yale coach Tom Williams addressed his decision to run a fake punt faced with a 4th-and-22 at the Yale 25 in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Williams has received plenty of criticism, including in this blog, for the decision.

Here is what he said to the invited guests at The Commons at Woolsey Hall.

"I take responsibilities for all those losses, not just the one yesterday but for the other five," Williams said. "The only regret I have is that there is a man who wears a ‘Y’ on his helmet who thinks their opportunity to win the football game was taken from them, that is the only regret I have. I want to sincerely apologize to those men because I worked very hard to earn their trust and I love these guys as if they are my own children."

Just returned home from the Yale Bowl and won't soon forget what I saw today.

We're not only going to start with Tom Williams' decision to attempt a fake punt leading by three points in the fourth quarter, we are going to finish with it as well. I'm not going to sugarcoat this, it was a reckless decision. In the 20 years I have been a sports reporter, I can't remember a coaching decision I disagreed any more strongly than this one. I am not alone. When I checked my phone, I had four missed messages in the hour after the game from people wanting to know why he wouldn't punt the ball and put the game in the hands of his defense.

This Yale team had been through so much this year, disappointing losses to Cornell and Princeton, so many injuries, a constantly changing lineup and a nearly completely new coaching staff. They could easily have had their eyes elsewhere especially in an academic setting like the one they reside in at Yale. But they didn't. They were on the verge of their most complete effort of the season and only needed for their coaching staff to demonstrate a little self restraint.

Faced with 4th-and-22 at their own 25 and Harvard out of timeouts, Tom Mante trotted onto the field to punt. All Mante did was average 51.3 yards on his previous three punts to clinch the Ivy League punting crown. Harvard had enough respect for Mante that their returner lined up 50 yards from the line of scrimmage when Mante dropped back to punt. But he never got the chance. The designed fake was snapped to up back Paul Rice, who twice this season got the call on successful fake punt calls who pitched the ball to freshman safety John Powers. Powers, a former dual-threat runner and passer during his days as the starting quarterback at Hopkins, nearly got the first down but was tackled seven yards short of the first down. Rather than Harvard needed to drive somewhere between 60-80 yards for the winning TD, it only needed to go 40.

There is no defending the decision. If Williams ponders a decision in that situation again that he will remember the post-game scene. Senior linebacker Travis Henry, one of the truly class acts on the team, kneeled on the 50 by himself for what seemed like an eternity or some of the seniors wandering slowly around the field as if they were trying to comprehend what had just transpired. Henry and the other seniors bought into Williams' deal from the outset. Even when some of them saw their playing time cut or their roles diminished, there seemed to be little discord in the program (at least none I discovered). Instead of walking off the field snapping a two-game losing streak to Harvard, the departing seniors were left to deal with a bitter end to their collegiate careers. Many of them will never play in a football game again and this was not the ending they envisioned or deserved.

I have gone on the record saying I am impressed with the job this coaching staff has done but there is no defending a decision like this. If you want to try it in a JV game or spring it early on Harvard, fine but not in the final quarter against your greatest rival. I compare it to fouling a 90 percent free throw shooter with a 1-point lead with 5 seconds to play in a basketball game. The risks simply outnumber the reward but such a large margin that you just don't do it. I also found it ironic that on a day when Yale ran the ball so well, the Bulldogs resorted to a gimmick with their version of the Wildcat formation. Williams scoffed at the impact of the Wildcat when asked about after the Penn game and yet they went to it. Why?

The sad part is that it all seemed to be coming together for this team. They shook the turnover bug, discovered a running game in sophomore Alex Thomas, the offensive line was playing better than it had all season even if the Bulldogs' two best linemen (Jake Koury and Cory Palmer) were dealing with injury issues. Defensively, Yale resembled the stingy unit of the last couple of years. All of that ended with one call which was simply to risky to justify.

The good news is the future is bright. Replacing John Sheffield, who finished third on Yale's career receiving list, and the entire starting linebacking corps will not be easy. But with Alex Thomas and Mordecai Cargill, the Bulldogs have two talented running backs. Speedy receivers Gio Christodoulou and Chris Smith return after dealing with injury-shortened seasons. Four offensive line starters are back and with the development of Chris Stanley and Kurt Stottlemyer, Adam Money should be able to move to safety to help fill the void left by Larry Abare's graduation. I think Yale could compete for the Ivy League title with an experienced group of returning players.

Not much to report from practice. Quarterback Patrick Witt took pretty much all the snaps when I was there except when Dez Duron ran scout team stuff. I didn't see Brook Hart take a snap in the hour or so I was at practice. H-back John Sheffield and receiver Reid Lathan caught everything thrown their way.

Adam Money was out there practicing without limitation while freshman cornerback Kurt Stottlemyer saw plenty of time with the first team.

It was not a great day for the kickers. Tom Mante and Alex Barnes had field goals blocked on consecutive tries and Mante followed up with a horrible shank on his next effort. They both settled down and made some kicks after that. Barnes will continue to handle the extra points and medium range field goals while Mante will punt, kick off and be called upon for long-range field goals.

A few things from the weekly Tuesday press conference at the Yale Bookstore.

First, Yale coach Tom Williams said junior cornerback Adam Money had a stinger late in Saturday's game against Brown but he has been cleared to practice and did just that on Tuesday morning.

There's no change in the injury status of receiver Chris Smith and safety Larry Abare. Williams said there is a chance Smith can play against Harvard while Abare has been trying to persuade the Yale medical staff to slap a cast on his broken right forearm so he can get back on the field. If Abare does manage to get back on the field for the Nov. 21 game against Harvard, I wouldn't want to be one of Harvard's receivers, running backs or the quarterback because Abare will have some lost time to make up for and will be chomping at the bit to hit somebody.

There will be no switch in kickers. Alex Barnes will continue to handle extra points and kicks while Tom Mante will punt, kick off and be called on for the long-distance field goals.

Williams was accompanied by junior receiver Peter Balsam. I spoke to Balsam and Williams about the amount of injuries the receiving corps has had to endure this season and that will be the Yale football story in Wednesday's edition of the Register.

Among the other topics I addressed with Balsam was his reaction to seeing Brown score late in the first half, aided by Balsam's 15-yard penalty on the kickoff after Money's 77-yard interception return. Rather than needing to drive the ball 72 yards, Brown only needed to go 57 yards. When Bears' quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero capped the drive with a 9-yard TD run, Balsam walked in the general vicinity of Williams who voiced his displeasure. Balsam expressed remorse at the role his penalty for retaliating had in aiding Brown's second touchdown.

"I felt terrible," Balsam said. "It is totally unacceptable, it was a totally selfish play and it can’t happen again. It would be one thing if it was the first time it happened but I got one against Lehigh as well. After an interception, I made a tackle and I got up and pushed the guy. In that case I don’t know what to do, I guess get up and clap in the guy’s face who is yelling at you because pushing is unacceptable. It doesn’t get caught all the time but usually it is the second person who does it that gets caught. You just have to keep your head on straight and realize that you are not playing for yourself, you are playing for your 100 and however many teammates. Those guys work just as hard as you and you can’t make that kind of a selfish play that will jeopardize that hard work."

The show stopper at Thursday's practice had to be freshman cornerback Kurt Stottlemyer.

During the scrimmaging portion of the practice, Stottlemyer intercepted two passes and saw plenty of time with the first team. When facing pass-happy Brown as Yale will on Saturday at the Yale Bowl, reserve cornerbacks find themselves in the mix a more regular basis as the Bulldogs can match up with the prolific Brown receivers.

Yale coach Tom Williams heaped significant praise on the Bothell, Washington native saying he was one of the freshmen who arrived ready both physically and mentally for varsity duty. The two reasons why Stottlemyer hasn't seen more action are Adam Money and Drew Baldwin, Yale's two starting corners. It should be noted that it was around this time last season when Baldwin began to see more work with the varsity.

"We haven't needed him to play until now," Williams said. "We had Money and Drew obviously but as far as his ability and his awareness as a freshman, there is no question in my mind that he could have been playing all year for us if we needed him to. Now he is going to get his chance and I'll tell you what, he is a good football player. He is one of those guys who has a natural feel for the game, just a knack for playing so I am excited to see what he does on Saturday"

Yale's secondary will be aided by the return of John Pagliaro, a reserve safety who missed last week's game against Columbia with a concussion.

Other than the continued absences of safety Larry Abare and receiver Chris Smith, the Bulldogs appear to be in good shape health wise.

It's just a hunch on my part but I have a feeling Reid Lathan is going to make a play on Saturday. Lathan was Yale's third-leading receiver last year but a shoulder injury set him back during the fall camp. He has yet to record a catch this season. Lathan made a spectacular catch over Stottlemyer on a deep ball and had a strong practice on Thursday. Lathan is also responsible for one of the most memorable moments of the practices I have been at. The offense was lined up when offensive coordinator Brian Stark said "Reid, you should be over there." Lathan obeyed his coach but said innocently "didn't you call ..." The exact name of the play and formation escapes me but Lathan was absolutely right. He was lined up in the right spot. Stark apologized and had a chuckle and you could hear Yale coach Tom Williams cracking up in the background as well.

Just a recap of the weekly press conference at the Yale Bookstore.

Junior cornerback Adam Money was the player who joined Yale coach Tom Williams at the event and he admitted he was pretty surprised to be named the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Week. When I was speaking with Money after the question and answer session, former Yale coach Carm Cozza came up and whispered that his tracking down Columbia Leon Ivery at the 2 yard line was one of the best hustle plays he has seen in his time at Yale.

Considering the impressive Hall of Fame credentials of Cozza, Money may never receive a greater compliment.

A few updates on the starting lineup. Williams said Patrick Witt will start at quarterback, the starting offensive line of Alex Golubiewski, Nathan Burow, Jake Koury, Gabe Fernandez and Cory Palmer will start for the second straight week and Alex Barnes will continue to handle field goals and extra points.

A clarification from my pre-game blog, there was a freshman receiver wearing No. 21 but it was not Chris Smith but Collin Bibb.

He also said that Smith and safety Larry Abare, out with knee and arm injuries respectively, will not play. Jordan Farrell, who started the first four games at tailback, is close to returning after being worn down by a case of the swine flu and then bronchitis.

Yale junior cornerback Adam Money was named the Ivy League's defensive player of the week. While other players in the league had gaudier stats than Money, his tackle of Columbia's Leon Ivery at the 2 yard line saved the game for the Bulldogs. He then caused and recovery a fumble to give Yale a chance to drive in for the game-winning touchdown with 58 seconds to play.

Money had five tackles, also had 99 yards on kickoff returns and other 49 on punt returns in a 23-22 Yale win.

Among the players he beat out for the award were Princeton's Steve Cody (15 tackles, 1 interception), Cornell's Chris Costello (14 tackles), Brown's James Develin (11 tackles, 3 1/2 tackles for losses) and teammate Paul Rice (15 tackles, a forced fumble).

Yale senior h-back/tight end John Sheffield, who had seven catches and 81 yards, was named to the honor roll along with Rice.

As Yale victories go, few are as improbable as Saturday's 23-22 thriller over Columbia.

Yale entered the fourth quarter without an offensive touchdown in more than 11 quarters and slippery freshman quarterback Sean Brackett, who starred at Griswold High, was eluding the usually sure-tackling Yale defense.

When Patrick Witt, who came on for the start of the third quarter for Brook Hart, hooked up with John Sheffield for a 20-yard TD to end the lack of offensive touchdown streak 32 seconds shy of 180 minutes or three complete games, Yale seemed to be in business.

Then Columbia's all-time leading receiver Austin Knowlin beat Yale safety Geoff Dunham for a 32-yard touchdown reception and Leon Ivery's two-run rush gave Columbia a 12-point lead with 8:32 to play.

That's where Adam Money took over. He chased down Ivery from the opposite side of the field, bringing him down at the 2. On the next play Paul Rice jarred the ball free from Zack Kourouma to keep the Lions from regaining the two-score cushion.

When Yale failed to move the ball, Columbia attempted to run the clock out. Brackett rumbled into Yale's side of the field but Money poked the ball out and recovered.

Witt hooked up with A.J. Haase for 22 yards and Peter Balsam for 8 yards and then Yale was given life when a defensive holding penalty on a fourth-down incompletion gave the Bulldogs 1st and goal at the 10. Witt found Haase along the left sideline for a game-winning score.

"It's probably the craziest win I have ever been a part of here," Sheffield said.

Here are a few numbers. Yale was being outgained 246-146 headed into the fourth quarter, was 1 for 8 on third downs entering the last quarter and somehow escaped with a win.

Mordacei Cargill led Yale with 73 yards but he was replaced by Alex Thomas after he lost his second fumble of the game. Two of Columbia's three scores came on the next play after Cargill lost the ball.

Witt was 14 of 23 for 166 yards and two touchdowns and was not sacked. Brook Hart played the first two quarters, was 9 of 15 yards for 64 yards and was sacked four times.

At halftime, John Sheffield had no catches and A.J. Haase caught two balls for 17 yards. They combined for 10 catches in the second half.

Rice led Yale with 14 tackles. Columbia ripped through the stingy Yale run defense for 235 yards despite being without starting tailback Ray Rangel (out for the season after undergoing surgery on his injured foot) and quarterback M.A. Olawale (who was in uniform but did not throw a pass in practice all week because of a shoulder injury).

Yale denied Knowlin a chance to become Columbia's career leader in receiving yards. Knowlin had three catches for 63 yards, leaving him 32 yards shy of the record.

The Bulldogs turned to Alex Barnes at kicker over Tom Mante after Mante missed three fields last week. Barnes kicked a 47-yard field goal while Mante was impressive both on punts and kickoff returns.

The first half ended with Yale's Alex Barnes nailing a 47-yard field goal to answer Columbia's score to allow the Bulldogs to only be down three despite a mediocre first half.

Columbia struck first when Corey Coleman recovered a Mordecai Cargill fumble. Reaching into their playbook, the Lions used a flea flicker with Austin Knowlin taking the ball on a double reverse and pitching the ball to freshman quarterback Sean Brackett, the former Griswold High star who was the surprise starter. Although Yale wasn't fooled as Taylor Joseph was double covered, Brackett's pass avoided the outstretched arm of Yale's Drew Baldwin and fell into Joseph's hands in the right corner of the end zone.

Yale nearly answered back immediately as Adam Money broke free on the ensuing kickoff but rather than just attempting to outrun kicker Greg Guttas, he put a couple of moves on him and ran right into the kicker who had just missed the extra point. Money's 48-yard return gave Yale the ball in Columbia territory.

With Tom Mante having missed all three of his field goals last week, the Bulldogs turned to Barnes when the Bulldogs were faced with a 4th and 15 at the 31. Rich Scudellari got down a low snap and Barnes did the rest.