Bulldogs begin long climb from Ivy cellar

Coaches, players analyze recent string of losses.

By Erin Fitzpatrick and Geoff Chepiga

On Sun., Oct 28, two Yale graduates of the class of 2001 butted helmets at Soldier Field in Chicago. Than Merrill, JE '01, was playing special teams for the Chicago Bears, and Eric Johnson, JE '01, a tight-end for the 49ers, caught two passes for 24 yards, upping his totals for the season to 12 receptions and 102 yards. It was a proud weekend for the Yale class of 2001 and a proud moment for the Yale football program. But it seemed as though this year's team became so excited for the EJ-Than showdown that the players forgot that they also had a game to play that weekend.

Though numbers supposedly tell the true story, the final scoreboard numbers for the Bulldogs have recently told a very different tale than the other stats. On Sat., Oct. 20, the Bulldogs fell to Penn 21-3. Last weekend, they lost to Columbia for the first time since 1997, 28-14. In both games, Yale had better stats than their opponents, but they were not been able to translate their superior passing yards and impressive defensive stops into points. Last weekend, Yale's off-ense outperformed Columbia's by 130 yards, but was unable to score a touchdown until the final quarter. Yale's first touchdown was scored by Steve Ehikian, BK'04, on a blocked punt. Yale's offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter was the first one in seven quarters.

A technicality may reverse this defeat, however, as Columbia has recently come under suspicion for having an ineligible player on the field during the Yale-Columbia game. Columbia defensive lineman Matt Stary '02 may have been ineligible to play due to a scheduling mistake with class credits. If this proves to be true, the Lions would have to forfeit the game. Although Yale would then be able to count the Columbia match-up as a win, players still wonder what went wrong. "A key factor was that they made the big plays and we didn't," Captain Tim Penna, BK '02, explained. "They had the interception return for a touchdown. They had the huge pass over Steve's head, and we couldn't execute those kinds of plays."

As the end of Yale's Ivy League season approaches, the big plays Merrill and EJ routinely made have not appeared. The losses are piling up, and Coach Jack Siedlecki is scrambling for answers on how to turn this disappointing season into an acceptable one—and, of course, the perennial question: how to beat Harvard.

RATHER THAN FOCUS ON THE SEASON AS A WHOLE, the team is trying to focus on what needs to be done day by day. "I think we have had great practices this week," Siedlecki said. "And the players are looking forward to getting back out on the field at home this Saturday and playing more consistently than we have over the past two weeks."

This weekend's game against Brown will showcase two defenses that have both played very well against the run. The Bulldog defense is currently ranked fifth in NCAA Division I-AA against the rush and has allowed just four rushing touchdowns in six games. Despite giving up six touchdowns against Penn and Columbia, Yale's defense successfully shut down the superstar runners on both teams. In the Penn game, Yale held running back Kris Ryan '02, who entered the match-up averaging 234 yards per game, to just 79 yards. Against Columbia, Yale stopped Jonathan Reese '02, allowing him only 2.4 yards per carry. The Eli defense has the tenacity, communication, and mental focus to let the players work as a cohesive unit. But misjudgment on key plays has led to a handful of serious errors—errors that will need to be remedied when Yale hosts Brown this weekend.

Brown's defensive turnaround has been the talk of the Ivy League: "Brown is playing a completely different defense with a new defensive coordinator," Siedlecki said. Their pass-defense statistics are among the top in Division I-AA, but it's Brown's run-defense and their defensive line, anchored by Nigerian defensive end Ura Airihaivbere '02, that most worry Siedlecki. The strength of Brown's defensive line will be critical as Yale's offensive lineman Kyle Metzler, JE '02, is still recovering from an injury, and neither Peter Lee, TD '02, nor Robert Carr, MC '05, are at 100 percent.

In the last few games, the Elis' offense has not had any major letdowns, but rather has been marked by a consistent inability to execute in the opponent's half of the field. So far this season, Quarterback Lee had a career-high 28 completions for 294 yards but threw only one touchdown. Lee has been choosing the pass so frequently in large part due to the ankle injury that he suffered in the Dartmouth game, which still affects him and leaves him more vulnerable on the field. Although he is dropping back and trying to find the quick pass, he is being sacked more often than usual when he doesn't have anyone open. As Siedlecki explained, "The sacks are [due to] a combination of protection problems and a quarterback that is not 100 percent healthy and has lost a lot of mobility."

DESPITE THE SACKS, THE BULLDOG OFFENSE HAS been churning effectively until they get deep into the other team's territory. Yale got the ball inside the Columbia 30-yard line a whopping eight times last Saturday, but only managed seven points in those eight trips. "Once we got into the red zone, we didn't execute well, we missed a few field goals, and we had a lot of problems with penalties," Penna said.

The Bulldogs set a school record with 14 penalties called against them, for a total loss of 105 yards. The missed field goals told a similar tale of an offense that cannot translate talent into points. Within two possessions of each other, Yale kicker Justin Davis, PC '02, who scored the only Yale points against Penn, missed a 35-yard and a 42-yard field goal. The mental lapses or bad timing on the part of a few players were indeed costly. If Yale wants to finish with more Ivy League wins than losses—which means winning the final three games in a row—such mistakes cannot continue to occur.

"A lot of times, when you get off-sides penalties, it's because you're tense and uptight, so a big part of the job for us is to just play relaxed. When you look back on it, it's easily corrected. But it's easier said than done," Lee said.

Lee has shown his capability to get things done, moving the ball effectively down the field. His main go-to guys, senior receivers Billy Brown, CC '02, and Keith Reams, MC '02, have demonstrated their ability to make needed catches. Brown is currently ranked second in I-AA with 8.8 catches per game; he caught eleven passes for 163 yards against Columbia. Despite these positive elements, Penna noted that the plays are not turning into scoring opportunities.

"It's been really frustrating offensively, because it's not as if we're totally ineffective," Lee said. "We're doing some good things, but we just need to finish and execute complete drives. When we have chances to run, we have to take advantage of the situations and just perform without mental lapses."

Lee finished this week with an impressive honor when he was one of 16 student-athletes from all divisions of college football to be named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in the 2001 Class of National College Student Athletes. This honor recognized Lee's superb academic record at Yale, where he improved his GPA from a 3.8 to a 4.0 after transferring to Yale in his sophomore year. Lee was one of three players selected from I-AA to be named in the 2001 class.

THE TEAM THAT WAS RIDING HIGH IN THE BEGINN-ing of the season now faces three heated contests. As the Ivy League title is now no longer a goal, the team must now address the question of what is going to be the focus of the team for the rest of the season. Obviously, many Yale fans are focused solely on the final game—to some the "only" game—against Harvard. But the players cannot allow themselves to get caught up in the Harvard-Yale frenzy; they now face having to physically and mentally repair themselves after two forgettable games. "That's the sign of a good team, to be able to put whatever happened behind you and just focus on whatever week you're playing," Lee said.

The only game for Yale right now is Brown, a team with a brand-new defense and a successful offense that always manages to test the fullest capabilities of the Yale defense. This is a big game for the Yale team to get back on track if it has any hope of not derailing completely. This season has brought a considerable change in momentum and performance from the beginning to the middle, and, as the Bulldogs round the mark for the homestretch, they not only feel the pressure from the fans mounting for the Harvard contest. They also must satiate their own hunger for victory—true victory that is gained from their own strength as a team.

Dave Goldenberg contributed to this article. Photos by Steve Ybarra.

Back to Sports...