Beware of 'Dogs: Yale's shocking season

Defying the experts, the Elis have piled on the wins. Only one obstacle remains.

By Matthew Goldenberg

JULIA TIERNAN/YH RUNNING FOR DAYLIGHT: Behind an improved offensive line, Bulldogs such as Josh Phillips, MC '01, have been running over and around Ivy opponents.

Brown head football coach Phil Estes was shocked and angry. His team, a preseason favorite to challenge for the Ivy League title, had just lost to Yale, 30-28, on a miraculous 27-yard, Hail Mary pass from Joe Walland, TD '00, to Jake Borden, JE '00. How could Estes explain his team's loss to Yale? Yale--a team that had finished 1-9 overall and winless in the league last season. Yale--a team that Brown had embarrassed 52-14 just one year before. Yale--a team picked to finish dead last in the league in virtually every preseason poll. How could his team have lost? How could his team have lost to Yale?

Among several other explanations, Estes noted sarcastically that his team was "dealing with a `new Yale.'" And, though Estes' use of the term "new Yale" was a sardonic allegation of recruiting improprieties that never existed, his recognition of a "new Yale" could not have been more accurate. Nearly a full season after Estes' remark, it is evident that this edition of Bulldog football really is new. The team's novelty lies not in any shady recruitment policies, but rather in winning ways. True, Yale is not undefeated, and it is unlikely that the Elis will win the Ivy crown, save a miracle upset of Pennsylvania by Cornell this weekend. However, that the Blue (5-4, 4-2 Ivy) has secured a winning league record and enters The Game as a slight favorite over the Crimson (4-5, 3-3 Ivy) speaks volumes of the Bulldogs' improvement. In his second season in New Haven, coach Jack Siedlecki has already begun to restore Yale football to its traditional place atop the Ivy League.

It all began on Sat., Sept. 19, when the Elis took the field at Brown Stadium for a game few thought they could win. But thanks to a high-powered offense and five Bear fumbles, three of which were recovered by Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week Nate Boxrucker, BK '99, Yale astonished the Bears--and the pundits. By the day's end, Walland had completed 27 of 38 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for a touchdown, en route to capturing Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors. Another Eli offensive star was born that day in Providence--Rashad Bartholomew, SY '01. The Air Force transfer rushed 31 times for 145 yards and one touchdown.

Whatever optimism emerged from the season-opening triumph would be severely tested. During the second and third games of the season, Yale faced its toughest competition of the year in Connecticut and Colgate. Nationally ranked UConn routed the Bulldogs 63-21 in the 49th and final edition of the intrastate rivalry. The 63 points were the most ever allowed by a Yale defense. A week later, Colgate, a team that reached the Div. I-AA playoffs a year ago, handed the Blue another lopsided defeat, winning 35-17. The one bright spot for the Bulldogs was the play of wideout Ken Marschner, SY '99, who caught a school-record 13 passes in defeat. With the loss, Yale fell to 1-2 and many started to believe that the Brown victory had been a fluke.

But in its last non-conference game of the year, Yale responded to critics with a 15-7 win over Holy Cross. While the offense struggled, the much-maligned Eli defense, which had surrendered over 500 yards against both Connecticut and Colgate, finally proved itself. Of the Crusaders' 62 plays, half went for no gain or negative yardage. The win marked the first Eli victory at the Yale Bowl since 1996.

On Sat., Oct. 17, Yale resumed Ivy action when it traveled to Hanover to face Dartmouth, a team the Elis had not defeated since 1989. Before a homecoming crowd at Memorial Stadium, the Blue dominated the Big Green in every category but one--the final score. Yale jumped to an early 9-0 lead behind the foot of Mike Murawczyk, MC '01, who capped each of three impressive Bulldog drives with field goals. Dartmouth capitalized on two fumbled punt returns to take a 22-19 lead late in the game. Yale had one last chance. In a fashion eerily familiar to the close of the Brown game, Walland methodically led the Bulldogs to the Dartmouth 40 with 11 seconds remaining. He then completed a bomb to Marschner at the Big Green five; two seconds left. With no timeouts remaining, Yale could not stop the clock, and time expired on another would-be comeback.

The following weekend, Yale came back to New Haven for their first home Ivy contest of the year against Columbia. The Lions entered the game with the nation's second-best rush defense, but the New Yorkers could not stop Bartholomew, who rushed for a career-high 192 yards, including a season-long 70-yard touchdown gallop. Walland also had another strong game, completing two touchdown passes and rushing for another score in the 37-14 thrashing. The Bulldog defense was equally impressive, surrendering just 210 yards. The win--Yale's first home Ivy victory since 1995--moved the Elis, 2-1 in the league at the time, into a first-place tie in the league with Harvard, Princeton, and Pennsylvania, setting up a crucial showdown with the Quakers the following week at Franklin Field.

Yet what was billed as a close fight for first place turned into a rout at Yale's expense. In the Bulldogs' worst performance of the Ivy season, they were crushed by a Quaker team that took an early 21-0 lead and never looked back.

Though the Elis pulled to within 24-14, they would get no closer. The Quakers jumped to a 20-point lead and only a late Yale touchdown made the final a respectable 34-21.

No longer in control of the Ivy race, the Bulldogs returned to New Haven to face Cornell. The Bulldogs agains surrendered an early touchdown. However, unlike in the Pennsylvania game, the offense responded. Bartholomew rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown, while Walland completed 20 of 27 for 209 yards and two touchdowns. The defense held off a late Big Red charge for a 28-21 win.

In the penultimate game of the season, Princeton visited New Haven for the 120th edition of the nation's second-oldest rivalry. Due in large part to the team's season-high six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, Yale built an early 17-0 lead. The Tigers battled back to seize a 28-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter on an interception return of their own. But Walland hit Jake Fuller, BR '00, on the very next play from scrimmage for a 76-yard touchdown pass that gave Yale the lead for good.

When Princeton took the lead late in the game, it was the ninth contest in which Yale had trailed this season. But, as they had done so many times before, the Bulldogs responded. "I never lost confidence," Peter Sarantos, MC '00, said. "I knew that we could win." Indeed, this Yale team--unlike most others of recent years--has found a way to win consistently. That's this team's novelty. And, on Sat., Nov. 21, Harvard will have to deal with this "new Yale."

Photos by Julia Tiernan.

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